


Dark Pasts mean Bright Futures

by elliott (orphan_account)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Cute, F/F, Fanfiction, LGBT, M/M, Multi, Musicals, theatre nerd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-02-04 23:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12781731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/elliott
Summary: Disney movies, vegetable soup, soft kisses, fireworks.(give it a chance. i know a lot of people will skip past the fics that dont have very high stats, but give them a chance. please?)edit: 3.3.18: THIS FIC HAS BEEN PLACED ON HOLD FOR AN INDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME.





	1. Apparently, Love Knows No Bounds

**Author's Note:**

> SO! this is going to be my first full length update-able fic on here that will probably flop because i have no motivation to update anything ever, which is why so far, ive stuck with oneshots. buuuuuut i'm trying again, so here we're going to see some of our favourite characters bloom into beautiful people and we'll follow all of them in their journey of self discovery, musical theatre and -shock, horror- college.  
> forever hoping you love it xx

Percy hadn’t really told anyone he was going to move. He hadn’t even told his mom, but it was decided. As soon as August the 18th came around, off he went. 

He couldn’t stay there, in that place any second longer. Every corner he turned caused a new memory to explode and overtake him and he didn’t ever want to feel like that again. Didn’t want to feel weak like that again.

So he was moving to New York, which, in hindsight, was not the best idea.

Percy couldn’t get the conversation with his mom out of his head.

He had sat her down just before he was due to leave, in the evening after one of the best days he had had in a while, and told her that “He was moving to New York to go to college and to see his cousins, and that she shouldn’t worry and he’d come back to visit soon”.

And then she had dropped the bomb.

“But, Percy,” Sally Jackson had said, in the voice that someone does when they’re close to crying. “What about your little sister?”

“What about my what?”

“You can’t leave now, Percy. I’m pregnant!”

“Mom..”

 

Still, he got on the plane over, dealt with the standard, before flight anxiety by himself and gripped the hand rest when there was minor turbulence, pretending it was his mom’s hand. 

By the time he had landed in New York, he was disorientated, physically drained and buzzing off the adrenaline of finally doing something by himself.

There was a girl with dyed blue hair waiting for him at the airport, a girl he could only recognise as Thalia Grace.

“Perseus!” Thalia had yelled before he could even wave, and despite his grin, he did flip her the bird.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Perseus? Its Percy.”

“Sure thing, Perseus,” Thalia said, jumping up and mussing his hair.

“Oh, man, woah. Thals, have you grown? I don’t know, maybe an eighth of an inch?” Percy teased.

“Oh, shut up. Not all of us can be six foot fucking two.”

“That’s six foot three now. I grew. Evidently, you did not.”

“You can shut the fuck up. Now, are we going? I know its late, but I have a surprise. Everyone demanded to come get you. So, I don’t know how much space you’ll have in the car.”

Percy grinned. “I don’t care. One of these days we’ll have to get a minibus.”

“Or a private jet,” Thalia suggested.

“A private j- Why?”

“It just be cool, and really badass, you know. We can pretend to be rich and fancy as fuck.”

“I think we’d really need to be rich to buy a jet, not just pretend,” Percy told her, lifting his two suitcases up with ease.

“We have Neeks. His dad is looooaded.”

“Your dad is also loaded.”

“My dad is not currently talking to me,” Thalia told him. “So Mr. Di Angelo the Senior is our only hope. I bet if we got Nico to ask him nicely enough, he would actually buy us one.”

“Yeah, and if he found out you put Nico up to it, he’s have your head on a platter and call it a loan for the plane.”

“I’ll figure out a plan. Rattle off my sob story to him and then, boom. We’ll have a plane.”

“Rattle your sob story to who?” Annabeth Chase said, raising an eyebrow as the two rounded into the waiting area.

Jeez, Thalia was right. Everyone came.

There was a three seat radius around his group of friends, not that Percy could blame the public. As soon as they saw Percy, they started yelling before piling themselves on top of him.

“Jesus, guys!” Percy exclaimed. “Yes, hi Leo, You don’t need to greet me as ferociously as that.”

Leo smirked and shrugged. “I can’t help being a raging homosexual.”

“Oh my fucking God,” Rachel Elizabeth Dare sighed. “You kiss one guy and look what happens.”

“Oh, shush,” Leo told her. “You’re just jealous I have my sexuality figured out and I still get to kiss the second hottest guy here.”

“I’m only second?” Percy said, “Who’s first?”

“Me, obviously,” Leo said. 

“Percy,” Bianca di Angelo pushed in front of everyone. “Hi! How are you?”

“Bianca!” Percy wrapped his arms around her.

“Hey, did you grow again?” Bianca asked.

“Yep,” Thalia said. “This jackass is now officially six foot freaking three.”

“You’re just jealous because you’re only five’ two,” Percy said.

“Damn right I am jealous. If only I could see your beautiful face,” Thalia groaned.

“Hey, mamacita!” Leo exclaimed. “You don’t need to see Percy’s exquisite face when you’ve got mine at eye level!”

“I really wish I didn’t,” Thalia told him.

“Ouch,” Leo said. “That’s just cold.”

“So, has everybody stopped flirting with my boyfriend?” Annabeth asked.

 

“No,” Piper teased, having been quiet till now. She fake swooned. “Oh, Percy,” She gasped. “You are so perfect.”

“Hey, Pipes!” Percy exclaimed. He scooped her into a hug and spun her around.

“Jesus, Perce. You have grown. I feel like I’m at the top of the Empire State or something,” Piper said.

“Are we done now?” Annabeth demanded.

“Yes,” Piper nodded dutifully. “We’ll all go wait in the car.”

“But-“

“Won’t we, Leo?” Piper said.

Nico took Leo’s arm firmly and dragged him out of the airport.

“Hey, Nico!” Percy yelled before he could disappear.

“Good evening, Percy,” Came his reply.

“Hi,” Annabeth whispered. “I missed you.”

“I- uh- missed you too,” Percy said.

Annabeth smiled softly and pulled her blonde pony tail over her left shoulder. “How was the flight?”

“Um, good. Yeah.”

“Were you okay?”

“I was fine,” Percy lied through his teeth.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Annabeth told him.

“You’re too smart for your own good,” Percy quipped back, quickly falling back into the natural banter between him and his friends.

“My intelligence doesn’t stop you from being a bad liar, so how was it, really?”

“It really wasn’t as bad as I expected,” Percy said honestly. “It was just.. something my mom told me before I left. I should tell everyone together. Its big news.”

“You can tell everyone tomorrow,” Annabeth told him. “You need to get home and rest.”

“Where is home?” Percy asked.

“Oh, right,” Annabeth pulled out a key. “Yours.”

“Mine?” 

She gave him the key. “Yep. Before Thalia’s dad.. vanished, we managed to talk to him and Mr di Angelo to see if they’d agree to buy you an apartment for you to stay in so its easier for you to see everyone.”

“And they agreed?” Percy said in disbelief.

“Only after they made us promise that all of us would use the apartment as necessary, because they refused to pay for something that would only get used fifty percent of the time.”

“But, they both have crazy money. It wouldn’t have affected them. Hell, even is RED’s parents had paid some of it, it would have made a difference,” Percy said.

Annabeth shrugged. “I dunno. But none of us have even been inside yet. Apart from Nico and Bianca, but we made them promise not to tell us anything so we could experience it with you,” Annabeth said.

“Woah. Dedication,” Percy said.

“You wanna go see where you’re going to be living for the next few years?” Annabeth asked.

“It is near the campus, right?”

“Yeah. Nico said its like, five minutes away.”

“That means we’ll either be in crazy poor New York or crazy rich New York,” Percy said. “Oh, God. What if it’s a penthouse?”

 

It was a penthouse. 

Percy’s jaw had dropped before they even entered the building (which looked far too expensive for him anyway). Thalia had managed to at least hide her reaction, nodding minutely and muttering “Its alright.”

Leo, however, not so much. He had flat out squealed as soon as the doorman (there was a freaking doorman) opened the door to the lobby. 

“Nico! You didn’t tell us it was this fancy!” Leo practically shouted.

“Well, no,” Bianca said, “Our father told us not too.”

“Wait, so you guys knew it was like this?” Annabeth said. “Who owns this building?”

“Well, we had an idea,” Nico said. “With our father, of course it was going to be like this.”

“Jesus,” Percy said. “I can’t stay here.”

“That’s tough, Jackson,” Nico said, “Because its already signed in your name.”

He threw Percy a key, who caught it with ease. “Where does this go?” Percy said.

“Elevator key,” Bianca said, grinning. “C’mon, we’re on floor sixty. It’s a private floor.”

“Sixty? Private?!” Percy repeated.

“What,” Leo said, “Scared of heights, Jackson?”

“What? No!”

“Race you to the elevators, then,” Leo said before taking off.

“Hey, guys!” Bianca yelled, “This is a multimillion dollar building. Like, somewhere we don’t run!”

“Its also somewhere we don’t yell,” Nico told her, grinning. “Come on.”

 

Percy was beginning to think that his jaw was going to unhinge and get stuck in a dropped position. “Guys, I can’t stay here,” He told Nico and Bianca.

“Too late,” Nico said, throwing himself down onto one of the plush, velvet sofas like he owned the place. Well, he sort of did. Piper flopped down beside him.

“Its even nicer then the ones my dad normally sends me too,” Piper said, stroking one of the throw pillows.

Annabeth sat on the edge of one of them, like she was scared of it. “This was really nice of your dad, Nico, Bianca.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico said. “He’s nice in his own sort of way.”

“Um-“ Percy said, “Do you guys want to maybe sleep here too, tonight? It’s a big place,” He said, chuckling nervously.

“Well,” Thalia said. “I wasn’t going to leave, even if you made me.”

“I’ll stay,” Annabeth said, patting his arm.

“If Annie deems this place good enough, I’ll stay too,” Piper said, ignoring Annabeth’s glare when she called her ‘Annie’.

“Its between this place and my swanky college dorm with a creepy pedophile,” Leo said, “So I’m staying. Nico?”

“I have to get back to my dorm,” Bianca said. “But you can stay if you want, Nico.”

Nico disregarded her and nodded at Leo. “Of course I’ll stay.”

“Well, I have a seven thirty class tomorrow,” Bianca said. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Bye, B!” Percy smiled at her.

Bianca smiled, kissed Nico’s hair (much to his annoyance) and headed out the door of Percy’s new apartment. Wow. That felt weird.

He pulled out his phone and glanced at the text his mom had sent him earlier.

[Hey baby, how was the flight? I know we left in rocky terrain, but I hope you have a nice time with your friends. How’s Annabeth? You’ll have to fly them all down to see the baby when she’s born. Miss you! Love mom xox]

Annabeth glanced over at his phone. “Is that Sally?”

“Hm? Yeah. I was gonna call her,” Percy said.

“Go on, then,” Piper said.

Percy shrugged and dialled his mom’s number.

“Hey, mom!” He exclaimed when she answered.

“Hey! Put it on speaker,” Leo said, “Hi Sally! Hi!”

“Leo, shut up,” Percy told him. Nico covered Leo’s mouth with his hand.

“Hi, mom,” He repeated. Everyone watched him while Sally replied.

“What? No, I haven’t told them anything. I will tomorrow.”

“Told us what?” Annabeth hissed.

“Tomorrow,” Percy whispered back. “I’m putting you on speaker now,” He said.

“Hey!” His friends chorused. “Good evening, Miss Sally,” Came Nico’s greeting a few seconds after.

“Hello, everyone,” Sally said, her voice a little crackly though Percy’s phone speaker. “How is everyone?”

“We’re all fan-freaking-fantastic,” Leo said, “Because Nico’s father brought us a crazy awesome penthouse apartment to stay in while we’re at college.”

“Well, that was nice of him, wasn’t it?” Sally said, “Make sure to thank Hades for me, Nico.”

“I will,” Nico said.

“I can’t talk for too long,” Sally said. “My husband gets home soon and I have to cook. Make sure you lot all come down to visit me soon, alright?”

“Of course,” Annabeth said, “Maybe by then our friendship group will have grown in size.”

“Dear me,” Sally said. “There won’t be space in my house for all of you.”

Rachel grinned. “Me, Thalia and Leo will be fine. We’re like pixies compared to Percy.”

“He’s gotten tall, hasn’t he?” Sally said.

“Very,” Thalia said grudgingly.

“Thalia’s just mad that she hasn’t grown at all since she turned eight,” Percy said, grinning. “Ow!” He yelped. “You don’t need to throw a shoe at me just because your cells don’t work properly.”

Thalia threw her other shoe at him. “Don’t insult my cells.”

“You know what, guys? I’m going to take my leave now,” Sally said. “Don’t knock each other out. I’ll see you soon, Percy.”

“Bye mom!- Ouch! Leo!”

Leo grinned and held up his left shoe.

 

Later (much later, after Percy’s shoe-bruise had worn down to a nasty purple hue and Leo had fallen asleep after gorging himself on peaches from the fully stocked fruit bowl) Percy asked “We should go out for pizza tomorrow, celebrate college, and stuff.”

“That’s a great idea,” Annabeth said. “I’ll send Bianca a text in the morning.”

It was only him, Annabeth and Piper still awake, sitting on the terrace and watching the stars (even though they had to imagine them because of pollution and street lamps.)

“Which pizza place?” Piper asked.

“A nice one. I have some big news.”

“Is that what Sally was asking you about?” Annabeth asked. “Is it bad? Does she have cancer?”

“What? No, Annabeth, no! Its good,” Percy assured them.

“She’s becoming a millionare,” Piper said.

“Nope.”

“She’s publishing her book?” Annabeth suggested.

“She’s looking for a publisher, but that’s not it,” Percy told them.

“My dad knows a publisher. I’ll give Sally the company’s number,” Piper mused.

“Oh, my God!” Annabeth said, “She’s pregnant!”

“I- What? How’d you know?” Percy asked.

“We checked off anything else it could be,” Annabeth grinned. “Do you know the gender yet?”

Percy nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well?” Piper said. “Girl or boy?”

“Girl.”

Piper squealed. “If we aren’t all godparents I am going to be very upset.”

“I’ll let my mom know how you feel about that,” Percy grinned.

“Percy, that’s amazing! Do you have any ideas for names yet?” Annabeth asked.

“None that she’s told me, so,” Percy shrugged. “Open to suggestions, I guess.”

“I think you should name her Piper. After me,” Piper said. “Piper and Piper Jr.”

“Yeah,” Percy said, “No.”

Annabeth smiled. “How about Estelle?”

“Estelle?” Percy snorted. “Too fancy.”

“Ella,” Piper said.

“Ella?” Annabeth repeated. “I think its nice.”

“I like Ella,” Percy smiled. “Ella.”

“Percy and Ella Jackson,” Piper grinned.

“Ella Blofis,” Percy corrected. 

“Blofis-Jackson,” Annabeth compromised.

“Nice. Now, go to sleep, you animals. I need my beauty rest,” Percy told them, climbing back into the apartment.

 

Percy, having been the one to initiate their pizza trip, was also the one left with the bill. And when inviting 7 hungry teens out, that is not something you want to be left with. He was working on Annabeth to split it with him.

“Hey, uh, guys?” Percy said, once they were half way through their meal. “Listen.”

Annabeth caught his eye and grinned.

“I have big news-“

“Oh, my God!” Leo squealed, “Did you and Annabeth get engaged?”

“What?” Percy said, “No-“

“She’s pregnant?” Nico suggested, surprisingly just as excited as Leo.

“No! No wa-“

Leo gasped. “You’re pregnant? Percy! You dirty slut, you.”

“NO!” Percy exclaimed. “One, I am not pregnant, two, Annabeth is not pregnant. Three, we are not engaged. Four, my news was; my mom is pregnant!”

“So it was pregnancy,” Leo said. Rachel slapped him.

“Percy, that’s wonderful!” Bianca gushed, clasping her hands under her chin.

“Another Jackson?” Thalia groaned. “Awesome.”

“Give Miss Sally my congratulations,” Nico told Percy.

“Neeks, you don’t have to call her Miss Sally. Just Sally, or Mrs Blofis,” Percy reminded him again.

“Wait,” Leo said. “Did you guys know?” He rounded on Piper and Annabeth.

“He told us last night,” Piper admitted. “We’ve picked out baby names too.”

“What?” Leo exclaimed. “You told these hooligans before you told me?”

“Oi,” Annabeth said, “Watch who you’re calling hooligan,” flicking his bicep.

“Ouch, Annie.”

“God,” Annabeth said, “When will you imbeciles get it into your heads not to call me Annie?”

Percy grinned as Annabeth flicked Leo again, who retaliated with a light slap. Piper giggled, Thalia shrieked when someone kicked her and Percy realised just how much he had missed this.

 

“Christ!” Percy exclaimed, as he bumped into someone in Central Park and accidentally smushed his ice cream cup into their very white, white blouse. “Jesus, I’m so- Calypso?”

God, like dumping ice cream down a stranger was bad enough, dumping it on his ex girlfriend was, frankly, way worse.

“Percy,” Calypso greeted in a cool tone, thankfully ignoring the Chocolate Rocky Road currently dripping down her cleavage.

“Woahh, Chica,” Leo said, doubling back. “Looking good,” He told her, winking.

“Save it,” Calypso said, “I’m not interested.”

“In a ‘I’m in a relationship way’ or a ‘I’m a lesbian who don’t need no man’?” Leo asked.

“You didn’t tell me you were friends with such.. colourful characters, Percy,” Calypso said. “Such persistent ones. And, that’s a no in a ‘I’m aroace’ way.”

“Besides, Leo. You have a boyfriend,” Percy reminded him.

“Yes,” Nico said, grabbing his hand, “That’s something you would do well to remember.”

“Oh, but Nico,” Leo said, “The jealousy sex is so good!”

“Ew, Leo,” Rachel said, “Did not need to know about your sex life right now. Or right ever. Also,” She walked over to stand in front of Calypso. “I’m Rachel, your other, local aroace. And don’t mind Leo, he does that with every semi attractive person he meets.”

“Semi attractive?” Calypso raised an eyebrow.

Rachel blushed. And then when Percy wolf whistled, she shoved him.

“Anyway, Callie, I’m really sorry. Do you want to come back to ours and get a change of clothes?” Percy said.

“Ours?” Calypso asked.

“Nico’s dad brought the seven of us a penthouse apartment.”

“A penthouse?” Calypso repeated.

“I know, I was horrified too. Wanna come?”

“Sure thing,” Calypso said. “I’ll call a taxi.”

Percy nodded. “I’ll walk back, its not far.”

“You sure about that?” Calypso asked. 

“Yeah. Annabeth will walk with me.”

Annabeth looked up at the sound of her name and agreed anyway, despite not having heard what Percy said. “Of course I will, Percy!”

“You don’t even know what I said,” he called back.

Annabeth grinned and walked over. “What did I agree too?”

“Wild, crazy, kinky sex,” Leo said before Percy could even think about beginning to explain.

“What? No! Leo, shut up!” Percy said quickly. “Actually, I said you would walk home with me, if the others get a cab.”

Annabeth glared at Leo, “Yeah, sure I’ll walk. I need to talk to you alone anyway. You can drop me off at my dorm on the way back.”

“Is your college near here, then?” Calypso asked.

Annabeth nodded. “HBU, we all go there.”

“Me too!” Calypso said. “I’ll look out for you there.”

Annabeth smiled at her. “I will too. Anyway, Percy, we should start walking.”

Percy nodded. “See you guys at the Argo.”

“The Argo?” Calypso asked.

“Its what our apartment is called. The name is even on our keys,” Percy explained.

“Well, see you there?” Annabeth said, before pulling Percy over to the sidewalk.

 

About five minutes into their walk home, Percy spoke up. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Percy.. I think we should break up.”

“Hm? What? Why?”

“I, uh, I like someone else. And I’m gay,” Annabeth said all in a rush.

“What? No way!” Percy exclaimed. “C’mere, Coming Out Hug.” He pulled Annabeth into a hug and felt her smile against his chest. 

“So you don’t mind?” Annabeth asked as they were walking up to their block.

“Of course not,” Percy said, grinning. “You have a new special maybe someone. Who’s a woman. How could I compete? I don’t have boobs.”

 

Percy couldn’t stop that sentence spinning round and round his head. He stood in front of one of the many gold plated mirrors, after telling everyone to politely leave as he wanted to be alone. And they all had their own housing arrangements, they could all deal with paedophilic roommates for a bit.

He glared at the body in the mirror, pulling his shirt off and then glaring at the binder the body in the mirror wore. 

 

‘I don’t have boobs.’   
You damn well do, Miss Priscilla Jackson.


	2. Blood Red Blouses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lipstick, Flowers, Starbucks and Spaghetti Bolognese.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay dear that very lovely commenter who left a long message on my last chapter  
> i replied to you saying we'd find out more about nico and leos relationship, and annabeths little infatuation. we will next chapter i promise, but this one just ran away with me. obviously.
> 
> percy and pipers little modelling things wasnt even in my notes to write it in. i had about five things i wanted to include this chapter, and i included about two of them and then added three on to the list of things to put in the next chapter, so. this ones a bit longer, but before this note becomes unbearably long, i hope you enjoy it!

Thalia Grace was already abusing her spare key privileges, Percy decided, when he was woken up by a certain someone crashing into his new home and rifling through the fully stocked kitchen.

Although, when he found her trying to cook him pancakes, some of that previously felt annoyance vanished.

“Thals,” Percy murmured, shuffling into the kitchen. “What’re you doing?”

Thalia, bless her, thankfully did not comment on his current state when she turned around (knee high socks, one with a hole in the toe. His oldest, fluffiest, most comfortable sweater. Sleepy hair and dark circles).

“Good morning, sunshine!” She exclaimed. “Today, I am the bearer of news.”

“Good or bad?” Percy asked, slipping into one of the bar stools. “And since when was Thalia Grace this cheerful in the morning?”

Thalia spun around the kitchen island to boop his nose. Percy swatted her hand away. “I, my dearest Perseus Jackson, am here to organise the best party of parties.”

“Where’s this party happening? And when?”

“Right in this very apartment, my sweet, summer, sunflower.”

“Really?” Percy groaned.

Thalia giggled. “No, not really. Hey, can you do this? I don’t know how to cook pancakes.”

Percy grinned and replaced Thalia at the stove. “Got any better news, o’ dear news bringer?”

“Why yes, I do! My brother is coming into town.”

“You have a brother?” Percy asked, pouring pancake batter into the frying pan.

“Mhm. Thought you knew. His name’s Jason.”

“When’s he coming?”

“Well,” Thalia paused. “I don’t actually know when his show starts their tour here, but soon, I’m sure.”

“His show?”

“Oh, he’s in musical theatre. I don’t think its very reliable, but I’m one to talk, aren’t I?” Thalia held up her oil-pastel-stained finger tips. “Anyway, he’s in the Off Broadway cast for Rent!”

“I thought the people in Rent! Were like, thirty. I thought your brother was younger then you?”

“He’s eighteen. I’m only one year older. Anyway, he auditioned, and got the part among all these crazy talented thirty year olds, so.”

“How did you find this out? I thought you hadn’t spoken to him in years,” Percy said, flipping their first pancake.

“I haven’t. Google is a wonderful thing.”

“I’m sure he’d love to know that his sister has been stalking him via Google,” Percy snorted.

“Hey! I’m not stalking him, kelp brain. I saw his face on an ad for it, so I Googled him.”

“So you did Google him?”

“Make my pancakes, you monster,” Thalia whacked him with a spatula.

“I am, you lazy cow.” Percy flipped another onto the plate on the counter. “Put these in the oven, will you? So they don’t get cold.”

“Or I could eat them,” Thalia said, opening approximately every drawer in the kitchen in an attempt to find the cutlery. “Damn! Where do they keep the silve- goldware,” she corrected, “In this place. Yo, Percy, look at this. Gold forks!”

Percy glanced up. “Shit. This place is fancy as fuck.”

“Very. Can I eat a pancake now?”

Percy nodded. “If you must.”

Thalia grinned. “These are great,” She said with her mouth full. “Mind if I invite everyone else over? No one has class until after lunch.”

Percy nodded again, glancing at the clock on the oven. Seventeen minutes past ten. “Go for it.”

Thalia unlocked her phone in about two seconds, and typed a message in five. Percy couldn’t understand how her fingers worked so fast.

Five minutes later, Thalia’s various text tones for everyone came through. An owl hooting for Annabeth, fire crackling for Leo. A zombie roar for Nico, Mozart for Rachel (something she never stopped trying to change). Piper’s was a sort of swooping chime, and Bianca’s was something similar.

“Awesome! Everyone except Rachel can make it!”

“Why can’t Rachel come?”

“She’s busy with this painting, apparently. How much do you wanna bet that she went home with that Calypso girl and painted her?”

“Ten dollars that she did,” Percy said, flipping another ‘cake.

“You’re on.”

“So, when is everyone getting here?” Percy asked.

“I don’t know,” Thalia shrugged. “Soon as?”

 

Soon as was an understatement. Percy had barely finished cooking with all the batter when all the pancakes had gone, thanks to the unexpected amount of hungry mouths he’d had to feed.

“Curse you all,” was his only response.

He was sort of glad none of them had commented on his outfit choice for the day either. Either they all knew that he only wore his old kitten-ear sweater when he was feeling low, or they genuinely didn’t care. As long as no one was questioning him, he didn’t care.

“So,” Thalia said. “You guys know I have a brother, right?”

Various hums of agreement answered her.

“Okay, good. Cause Percy didn’t and I’m not explaining again, so if you don’t know, you can suck it. Anyway, he’s in the Off Broadway cast of Rent! And they’re probably coming to tour some theatres round NYC. So, if I can figure out how to contact the box office, who wants to go?”

“Go see your brother in a musical?” Annabeth asked.

Thalia nodded. “Yep.”

“I’m in,” Leo said. “Any excuse to stare at hot, musically inclined boys.”

Nico glared at his boyfriend and whispered something in his ear that caused Leo to turn very red.

“Oh, God,” Bianca said. “I really hope you aren’t discussing your sexual fantasies while I, your flesh-and-blood sister, am here in the room with you. That’s nasty.”

Leo winked at her, which neither confirmed or denied it.

Bianca shuddered and caught Annabeth’s eye. “Is it just me or do I always feel outnumbered by the amount of abnormal people there are in this friendship circle? I’m beginning to feel like its just me and Annabeth.”

“I don’t know what you mean, abnormal,” Percy said, while balancing pieces of ripped up bread on Thalia’s left cheek, while she tried to stay as still as possible while Leo ate the bread off of her face and Nico videoed the whole thing.

 

Nico – hey guys my sisters visiting with her boyfriend and friends from new orleans tomorrow. Anyone wanna come see them w/ me

Leo – ofc babe

Thalia – yuck coupley stuff. And I’m in.

Percy – where do u wanna go?

Nico – I was thinking about ice skating. Show her central park

Percy – pizza?

Annabeth – You’re going to get fat if you keep eating pizza, Percy. When was the last time you ate a vegetable?

Leo – uhoh

Percy – fine. We can come back to the apartment and ill cook something.

Thalia – yay percy’s cooking!!

Piper – if percy’s cooking im def coming 

Rachel – whos cooking?

Nico – read the chat

Rachel – alright give me a sec then

Rachel – oh cool percys cooking ill come

Piper – whats ur sisters name nico

Nico – Hazel. And her boyfriend Frank, and I think theyre coming with some friends idk who tho

Thalia – meet at the argo at 5 on sat?

Percy – sure. What do u guys want for dinner then *glaring at Annabeth*

Annabeth – If any of you say pizza I will stab you.

Thalia – pie?

Percy – expand

Leo – burgers

Percy – Christ

Bianca – Hey guys. If you want, Percy, I’ll stop by and drop of some stuff for spag bol

Percy – B youre a lifesaver thanku

Nico – is that settled then? Ill let my sister know

Piper – this is gonna b awesome

Leo – should we invite Calypso?

Percy – if we invite Calypso, she’s gonna come with about eighteen other peoples. Lets not.

Rachel – really?

Percy – trust me I know. Did it with mom once. She turned up with this douchebag Octavian and a Dakota. Id never met either of them.

Percy – Dakota was alright tho

Nico – that’s one of hazel’s friends???

Percy – no way!

Rachel – tell u what ill pick Callie up. Then she cant invite anyone else. Anyway, gotta go. My clays gonna dry out.

Thalia – yeah me too. Painting calls.

Thalia – oh also jasons tickets go on sale on Saturday too so we can book them then

Annabeth – Sounds good. I have to go as well, now. I’ll see you lot soon, no doubt.

Bianca – see ya.

Leo – sorry perce nico needs me 

Percy – ew gross

Nico – later

Piper – lmao wanna get coffee percy

Percy – holy shit yes I do

Piper – starbucks on 42nd in ten?

Percy – gotcha.

 

“Hey, Percy!” Piper yelled as soon as she caught a glimpse of him. He navigated his way through floods of under-dressed teen girls as fast he could.

“Hey Pipes. Hide me, I think I accidentally knocked some of the cream off of some girls frap.”

Piper faux gasped. “You didn’t! They’ll all come for you now.”

The two of them stared gravely at the girl fretting at one of the window seats. 

Percy grinned. “Anyway. What’s up?”

“Nothing. I just wanted coffee and didn’t want to go alone.”

“Wow,” Percy drawled. “I feel so wanted.”

Piper smiled and lightly shoved him. “What’s up with you, huh? You have this fancy pants new apartment that you don’t even have to pay for and I’ve never seen you more down in the dumps.”

“Me? Down in the dumps? Never,” Percy chuckled.

Piper put down her white chocolate mocha (something Percy strongly disagreed with). “Seriously Percy. You’ve seemed really out of it since we ran into Calypso the other night.”

“Its been, how many days, one? Two? Since that happened. I don’t know how I could be upset about something already.”

“Forty eight hours is a long time when you think about it.”

“Piper, really. I’m fine.”

“First catch. No one uses I’m fine unless they’re not fine,” Piper said, holding her finger up in front of Percy’s face.

Percy held onto her finger. “Fine. Annabeth broke up with me.”

“What?! Why aren’t you in floods of tears or anything? You were dating for like, five years, or something. Since before I met you.”

“I don’t know,” Percy shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.”

“Annabeth seems okay too,” Piper said. “Did she say why?”

“Its not my place to tell you,” Percy said.

“She’s gay?”

Percy choked on his Fudge hot chocolate. “How the fuck did you know?”

“Its my gaydar, Perce.”

“Your gaydar?” Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. “You too?”

“Hm?”

“Didn’t know you were a lesbian, Pipes,” Percy said, grinning. “C’mon. Coming Out Hug.”

“Shit,” Piper said, hugging Percy back. “I was gonna tell everyone tomorrow.”

“I won’t say anything till you’re ready. Unless you want me to?”

“No, I’ll tell them when Nico’s sister is here. I have a feeling we’re gonna be keeping them around for a while.”

“Yeah,” Percy said, “Me too. I wonder when Nico and Bianca found out about Hazel.”

“We’ll have to ask him tomorrow,” Piper said. “Hazel sounds really nice. She’s pretty too.”

“You know her?”

“Mhm, no. I found her Instagram on Nico’s.”

“You stalked her?”

“What? No! I just learnt a little bit about her and her boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Percy said, “So not stalking at all then?”

Piper glared at him. “Not at all.”

Percy laughed. “You’re adorable.”

“I’m gay, remember Jackson?”

“I remember, I remember.”

“You know, being gay doesn’t stop me from kicking your ass.”

“I wouldn’t have expected anything less,” Percy said, “I’m still just as terrified of you.”

“Hm. Good.”

“Excuse- Excuse me? Are you done with your drinks, ma’am and sir?” A shy server asked them.

“What? Oh, yeah,” Piper said, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, madam.” The server piled their empty cups onto her already piled high tray and scuttled off.

“You so scared her away,” Percy told Piper.

“What? No way! I bet you did.”

“Piper, you’re the one with skulls on your boobs.”

Piper grinned. “The pros call it fashion, my dear.”

“Oh,” Percy said, “What do you call it, then?”

“Wow,” Piper gasped. “I have no words. I’m easily the most fashionable out of all of us,” she said.

“Don’t let Thalia hear you say that,” Percy said. “She’s strangle you with that circlet tiara thing she wears.”

Piper grimaces. “I know. I’m thoroughly terrified.”

Percy grinned, “Should be. She’s scary. Anyway, where’d you wanna go now?”

“I have to go model for Drew. Wanna come? She might force you into a suit or three and put lipstick on you, but you can watch my own personal torture if you want.”

“Mm, torture? Sounds great,” Percy said. “I’ll come.”

“Okay, but you aren’t allowed to film any of it.”

“Your rules or Drews?”

“Oh, Drew wouldn’t care. As long as you credited the outfits as her pieces, she’d be over the moon at the publicity. I, however, would have to personally burn your phone and all other electronic devices. And then perhaps some of your friends phones. How would I know whether you sent it to anyone?”

“What if I make the video look really good, like one of those behind the scenes things famous labels do?”

“Maybe,” Piper said. “Maybe.”

Percy grinned. “Lets go, then.”

 

Drew lived on the college campus, with a roommate. There was a very obvious line between their separate sides, one covered in scraps of fabric and pink fluffy throw pillows, and black skull patterned scarves and blood red halter tops. 

“Calypso?” Percy said, as soon as Drew let them in, regarding him almost coldly.

“Who’s your friend, Piper?” Percy heard her ask. “He’s cute.”

Piper close lip smiled at her. “He’s not interested.”

“Hi, Percy,” Calypso said. “Why are you here?”

“Uh- with Piper,” Percy said. “Helping. Sort of,” he corrected at Drew’s glare.

Calypso nodded once before putting her headphones back on.

“Hey, uh, Drew? Can I sit anywhere? Do anything to help?”

Drew glanced at him. “Piper, go put these on. Red lipstick, red eyeshadow in your crease and lower lashline only, then black liner, winged out at a forty five degree angle and precisely one centimetre long.” Drew handed her three hangers, each with a different dress on. Piper left to the bathroom obediently and Drew advanced on Percy.

“Uh, hey?” Percy said when Drew put her hands on his biceps.

“Hm. Okay,” Drew said. “Can I touch your chest?”

“Why?” Percy asked suspiciously. 

“Measurements,” Drew said vaguely.

“Um. Okay?”

Drew lightly put her hands on his torso and gently traced them around. “A binder?”

Percy flushed involuntarily. “I- yeah.”

“Its not a problem. I can find you something.”

“You what?”

“You like flowers?”

Percy shrugged. “I guess.”

Drew smiled at him and stepped back. “Good.”

She flitted around her side of the room for about five minutes, opening drawer after drawer and scattering half finished drawings and scraps about. 

She reappeared in front of him with a maroon suit jacket and pants and a crème dress shirt with burgundy flower vines. “Perfect,” Drew murmured, glancing at Percy, the suit and then back again. “Hold,” she told him, handing him the clothes. 

“Hey, Percy? Are you okay with wearing makeup?” She asked, glancing up from where she was digging through a box of lipsticks.

“I-I guess,” Percy said. “I can try it?” He was feeling a bit out of his depth.

“Hm. Good,” Drew said, uncapping a colour before dropping it back into the box. “Piper, are you done yet?!” She yelled.

“You were the one who had crazy precise measurements for eyeliner, Drew!” Piper shouted back. “I just have lipstick.”

“Hurry it up then, I need to get Percy in there.”

“Uh, what?”

“Are you comfortable with this, Percy?” Drew asked, unscrewing a burgundy liquid lipstick and putting a swipe on her hand.

“Yeah? I’m not altogether sure what I should be expecting.”

“Its torture!” Piper yelled.

“Shut up and put your lipstick on!” Drew interrupted her.

“I am!”

“Percy, do you know your shade?” Drew asked.

Percy shook his head. 

“Hm. Okay then. That’s fine, you have pretty good skin anyway,” She was suddenly standing in front of him, dabbing a wand of cold, skin toned product on his cheek. “That’s an alright match.”

Piper reappeared, wearing one of the first dresses. It was a deep red, tight around all her curves and with a loose, low, round neckline.

Percy wolf whistled, grinning at her. 

“Shut up, Percy,” Piper said, blushing. She pulled her shoulder length hair to one side.

“Right, finally,” Drew said. “Percy, get in there.”

“O-okay.”

As Percy passed Piper, she patted his arm. “Sorry.”

Percy smiled. “Its fine. This is fun.”

“That makes one of us,” Piper muttered.

Percy opened the door to the bathroom and just managed to cover up his choking as a sneeze.

The small room smelt overpoweringly of hairspray, sweet perfume and expensive shampoo. Percy shook his head and started to dress in the suit Drew had given him.

Once he had got it on, and left his clothes in a pile next to the one Piper had left, he felt himself smiling at the reflection in the mirror. Damn. He made floral look good.

“You done, Percy?” He heard Drew call him.

“Yeah. Give me a sec!”

Drew hummed. “We still have makeup to do!”

“Oh,” Percy said. “Right. Coming.”

He opened the bathroom door, feeling shy all of a sudden. He felt Calypso’s eyes on him, and Pipers.

“Damn, Percy. You look good,” Piper said.

Percy grinned. “Thanks.”

Calypso had sat up. “It does look nice of you. Drew, would you let Percy take it?”

Drew shrugged. “Depends on how well you behave. Now sit,” She patted her desk chair.

“Sounds kinky,” Percy said, winking at Piper playfully.

Piper snorted. 

Drew shook her head. “This will be cold, okay?” She started applying some of the skin stuff under his eyes. “This is concealer. How much sleep do you get a night?”

“Um,” Percy grimaced. “Six hours if I’m lucky.”

“Jesus, what do you do? Party hard all night?” Drew asked.

“No, not really.”

She started blending out the concealer and then brushed a dusty white powder over his face. 

“Setting powder,” she explained. “Now, eyeshadow. Shut your eyes.”

Percy obliged, shutting his lids.

Drew started dusting a brush over them, for a long time. Like, five minutes. Percy felt himself get fidgety and started bouncing his leg. Drew stopped for a minute. “Here,” she said, handing him a Barbie pink fidget cube thing. Something Percy constantly wished he had but never got round to ordering. “ADHD, right? Yeah, me too. Now, shut your eyes again.”

“You’re ADHD?” Percy said in disbelief. “How do you have the patience to do all this sewing, then?”

“It’s the one thing it doesn’t act up for,” Drew explained. “There. Done.”

“Wow, Percy,” Piper said, “It really suits you.”

Drew nodded. “Okay, I’m gonna put lipstick on now, and it’s gonna take a couple of minutes to dry, so you can’t touch it till its dry, alright?”

Percy nodded. “Okay.”

Drew unscrewed the lipgloss tube she had been toying with earlier. “Callie, do you think matte or gloss?” She asked her roommate.

Calypso took her headphones off. “Matte.”

Drew started painting his lips.

It felt sticky, and smelt like vanilla, Percy thought. When it started drying, it felt sort of itchy. But once Drew announced it was fully dried, he could hardly feel it.

“Okay, Percy. I think I’ll take some with you two alone and then together, too. Piper, you go first,” Drew ordered, picking up a Canon camera and switching on two soft box lights. Piper stood on the roll up, white background Drew had already set up.

Percy made his way to sit just behind Drew on the floor and watch. Piper looked like she knew what she was doing, pouting and smiling and standing with her hands on her hips at the camera. Was that what he was supposed to do?

“Percy,” Drew said, snapping her fingers at him. “Can you turn the fan on and hold it on Piper’s left?”

Percy nodded and picked up the wireless fan on Drew’s desk. He switched it on to the second power, and held it so Piper’s hair and dress blew to the left.

She looked even more professional now, with wispy bits of hair flying across her face. Percy didn’t really know what Drew would want him to do, and he was sort of glad when she told him to turn the fan off.

Once Drew had got him standing in Pipers place, though, he wished he was holding the fan again.

“Okay, Percy. To start, you’re going to lean against the wall and look calm and casual, okay? Effortless,” Drew directed, “Like you’ve just been skateboarding with your friends, theres a hot girl coming down the street and you’re trying to look cool.”

Percy thought that was really specific, but it worked, because after a minute Drew had stopped talking pictures and was grinning at them. He assumed he was safe to move now, so he relaxed his muscles.

“Alright, that was good, Percy. Is this your first time modelling?”

Percy nodded.

“Okay, then. Next, do something that makes you feel comfortable,” Drew instructed, readying her camera.

“Can I sit?” Percy asked.

Drew nodded. “Anything. As long as its not indecent.”

Percy sat cross legged on the floor and stared straight down the camera lense.

“Percy, hold it! That’s great! Amazing! Yes, keep it there!” Drew kept calling encouragement. “Alright, change pose. Whatever you want.”

Percy, slowly feeling more comfortable in front of them, rested his chin on his hands, still crossing his legs, and looked over at Piper, smiling.

“Hold, hold, hold,” Drew said. “Okay, change.”

Percy spun around to lie horizontal on the floor, and folded his arms on his chest. Drew lay down with him and started talking pictures from the floor.

“Okay, okay. That’s good. Great! Now, stand up and Piper, get in the shot. Stand in front of him and both look at the camera like you’re about to murder it, got it?”

Piper grinned. “Got it.”

After a few minutes, Drew called “Change! Okay, Percy, drape your arm over Piper’s shoulder, and Piper, look up at him.”

 

An hour later, and three outfits, Percy was drained. 

“As fun as you thought?” Piper said, as she wiped off the makeup Drew had put her in, while Percy changed out of his third suit.

“Better,” he grinned. “It was great.”

“You hear that, Drew?” Piper yelled, “Maybe you can replace me with Percy!”

“No,” Drew called back. “I think the couple shots look great. What other friends do you have?”

Piper sighed and glanced at Percy. “Can I ask her for Saturday?”

Percy nodded.

“We’re having a load of people on Saturday at Percy’s new place if you want to come and meet some,” Piper said. “Calypso’s coming, right Callie?”

“Yep!” Calypso called.

“Really, Piper?” Drew asked.

“Yep. Percy’s cooking Spaghetti Bolognese,” Piper said. “All our friends will be there, and Nico’s sister and her friends. Maybe you could come to see Thalia’s brother’s play too, if you get tickets.”

“Musical,” Percy corrected.

“Right,” Piper said, “Sorry. Well, I’ll text you Percy’s address and the time and we’ll try to save you some food.”

“I’ll see if I can come.”

The two of them exited the bathroom then, Percy with his lipstick still on.

“Percy, if you want to keep the first suit, you can,” Drew said. “It really suits you.”

“Really? Thank you!” Percy said, holding the hanger.

“Do you wanna take the lipstick off?” Drew asked.

Percy shook his head. “I’m good like this, at the moment. Thanks, Drew. See you two Saturday?”

Drew smiled as she let Pecry and Piper out her dorm room door. “Saturday. I’ll be there.”

“For sure?” Percy asked.

“For sure,” Drew confirmed.

 

As Percy and Piper walked through the college campus and down to her and Annabeth’s dorm, Piper took Percy’s hand. “The lipstick looks good on you. And I think Drew likes you. A lot.”

Percy smiled. “I guess I’ll have to tell her about my thing.”

“What thing?”

“Demi-boy, aren’t I? She’ll want to know if I’m modelling for her again.”

“Only if you’re comfortable,” Piper said. 

“Maybe Saturday will turn into our coming out party. How much do you wanna bet that Nico and Leo come out too?”

Piper grinned. “I only have a five, but you’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, then. i can write more here! okay then, dear lovely commenter, again  
> your theories on percy were semi accurate about him being trans. hes actually a demiboy, which we'll find out more about next chapter (if i manage to include it fml). so dont worry about that. we're meeting hazel and frank enxt chapter too, and jason and reyna will probably come in in chapter four or five.  
> its all planned in my head now, but as soon as i start writing i lose it all.
> 
> anyway, this chapter was about 4k (500 more then the last one, so we'll aim for 4.5k next time, cool?) do you guys like this sort of length? i dont want to make it too short cause short chapters suck, but i dont want it to be too long either.
> 
> funfact, this fanfic is sort of inspired by two things, the first being a fanfic i read once on wattpad and it is, to this day, my favourite fanfic ive read, perhaps ever. of course, some aspects are completely different, but the jason being in musical theatre thing comes from that. i was also listening to rent while writing the majority of it, too, which is the second thing this is inspired by. sort of.   
> dont worry, there wont be any big deaths.
> 
> yet.
> 
> just kiddingggggggggg
> 
> did you guys like the sort of texty messaging section? i havent figured out how to change font on here yet, but im working on it. for now, we're doing that so. its low tech, but it does the job. what did you think of it? suggestions on how i could improve it?
> 
> ive been getting into marvel more recently, so far ive watched the captain america stuff, iron man stuff, avengers stuff, spiderman homecoming, guardians of the galaxy, ant man (which i didnt like) and doctor strange. so ive only really got hulk and thor, i think. maybe i could try writing a marvel-verse fic? would u read that?   
> or i could try a klance fic, or stollace (connor stoll and will solace, which is a ship ive been digging recently)
> 
> lastly, i hope you liked this chapter! im really really excited for this fanfiction. im going to try to update weekly, or at least biweekly. so if there isnt an update every week, i can assure there'll be one within the fortnight. i hope. 
> 
> okay, enough rambling. comment if you like (please please give your opinion and leave kudos, it really fuels me on and motivates me to write more often, and longer chapters).
> 
> see you next chapter! love yous


	3. Past, Present and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hazel and frank come in and they have spaghetti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ENJOY IT LOL
> 
> its worth including that this includes a little spoiler for Captain America Civil War! and ALSO A MASSIVE FUCKING SPOILER FOR THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2. so, uh. YEAH.  
> i also dont really know ANYTHING about DC, because i prefer marvel. so i think if i have to write more about dc, im going to have to get my love (who is an utter DC fangirl) to help me out lol. I can do the marvel stuff. throughout this i kept writing mervel instead of marvel.  
> fun

Nico used his spare key for the first time since Percy got the apartment. And he had called Percy seven times to alert him he was coming over anyway, so it wasn’t the element of surprise that shocked Percy.

It was the fact that Nico looked so utterly scared and distraught that made Percy almost scream.

“Nico!” Percy exclaimed. “Wait, woah! Dude! Whats up?”

“Here,” Nico shoved a plastic carrier bag of ingredients at Percy, his eyes darting wildly around. “Can I sit?”

“Hey, its your apartment too,” Percy said, taking the bag and putting on the grey marble kitchen counter.

Nico nodded and slid into one of the breakfast barstools. “Thanks. Um, that’s for dinner tonight, by the way.”

Percy looked up in the middle of inspecting a large, red tomato and pre-grated parmesan. “I can tell.” He put the tomato down and leaned forward. “So, whats up?”

Nico waved his hands around. “You know. Nerves.”

Percy nodded. “Yeah, sure. But it’ll go fine, right?”

“That’s not really helping.”

“Sorry,” Percy said, grinning sheepishly. “If she turns out to be a psychopath, at least you get to die in your happiest place.”

“Happiest place?” Nico raised his eyebrows.

Percy spread his hands. “Amongst all your favourite people.”

Nico snorted. “Sure.”

Percy feigned hurt, before digging through the food bag Bianca had supplied again.

“Have you eaten?” He asked Nico, before holding up some unidentifiable green vegetation. “What on earth is this? Please tell me its not the di Angelo marijuana stash?”

“Its not the di Angelo marijuana stash,” Nico said. “Its kale.”

“Kale?” Percy repeated in a hushed voice. “What do you expect me to do with kale?”

“Its B sucking up to Annabeth, trying to make her think we’re being healthy.”

Realisation dawned on Percy’s face, and then childish disgust. Then, “No way! Oh, my God!”

“What?” Nico asked.

Percy grinned. “B and Annabeth, sittin’ in a tree..” He sing-songed.

Nico looked at him. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Percy said, putting all the perishable food in his overly large fridge. “Everyone’s coming at five, right?”

“Mhm. Right,” Nico said. He glanced at his watch. “Its ten now.”

“How many people am I cooking for?” Percy muttered, gazing in the fridge.

Nico was silent as he counted. “Te- Eleven people.”

“Jesus,” Percy said. “Wanna go to the store?”

Nico jumped off of his breakfast stool. “Sure.”

“Cool, cause we need more spaghetti. And tomatoes. And cheese- and everything.”

Nico grinned. “It’ll take my mind off tonight. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

Percy grabbed his wallet and smiled at Nico. “Come on. We’ll walk.”

 

Percy had grabbed a basket and already filled it with three more tomatoes, tomato paste, another two hundred grams on spaghetti, two onions, red pepper, and a bag of carrots when Nico returned. The slightly taller boy was carrying two bottles of soda, and two one litre ice cream tubs.

“Uh.. what is this for?” Percy asked.

“Dessert,” Nico said. “I’ll get some more, but I was thinking we could make sundaes. An edible bonding activity.”

Percy chuckled. “Sure.”

“Are you almost done?” Nico peered into the basket.

“Yup. Go wait in the sauce section, sprinkle boy,” Percy teased. “I’ll meet you there in five minutes.”

Nico grinned and headed off in the direction he had come from.

Percy dumped a kilo and a half of minced beef meat in his basket.

 

Nico was staring rapturously at the chocolate chips when Percy found him.

“You know, any one would think you were chocolate chip-sexual,” He said, announcing his arrival. Nico jumped.

“Hey. You done?” He asked and Percy nodded. “Okay, cool, ‘cause I have found a lot of stuff.”

“How much is a lot?”

“Milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, popping candy, brownie pieces..” Nico continued listing toppings and Percy found himself zoning out and agreeing.

“And finally, raspberry sauce.”

“How many sauces was that again?” Percy asked.

“Chocolate, toffee, strawberry, salted caramel and raspberry,” Nico rattled off.

Percy exhaled sharply. “Sure. Lets pay, then.”

Nico grinned and led the way to the tills.

 

By the time they got back, Percy’s arms were dead. Nico had forced him to carry the two heaviest bags, the ones containing the litres of soda and ice cream and all the heavy liquids. 

“If I don’t have abs by the time I get inside, I’m going to scream,” Percy joked, as he stepped out of the elevator. Nico laughed, easily dumping his one, half full, light weight bag on Percy’s kitchen counter. 

“How much of this do you want in the fridge?” Nico asked, fishing out the ice creams from one of Percy’s bag.

“Wait for me to put it down,” Percy groaned.

Nico pulled the Neapolitan tub out of the bag with flourish. “No need.” He shoved it into the freezer, along with the cookie dough Ben and Jerry’s and the pistachio (something that Percy needed a lot of convincing to buy- he was too busy pining over bubblegum. Nico refused to walk to the checkouts with a tub of bubblegum, because “not only was the colour ghastly, horrifying and radioactive, it tastes like literal pig shit. Nope, we’re getting proper ice cream.” And thus picked up the pistachio.)

“I’ll unpack,” Percy said. “Everyone will be here in like five hours, so we can watch a movie or something if you want.”

“We spent two hours shopping?” Nico asked, jumping up to sit on the kitchen counter.

“Yup. You spent way too long choosing sprinkles,” Percy said, lining up all seven sprinkles bottles on the side. “And off, I have to cook on there,” he flapped at Nico to get off the counter.

“Hey, we needed all those sprinkles,” Nico said.

“Multi colour hundreds and thousands, white and blue snowflakes- it’s the first of December, for Gods sake. Rainbow chocolate drops, shiny silver pearls, white sugar pearls, rainbow mini balls, and gold crystals,” Percy said, reading out each sprinkle variation. “We really needed each one?”

“Yes, really. They all taste so different,” Nico said.

“They’ll break your teeth, with the amount you’ll use,” Percy remarked, putting his tomatoes in the fridge.

“I live by the idea that pleasure and enjoyment are more important then looking after my pearly whites.”

Percy grinned. “That is a terrible way to live.”

“Is it though?” Nico asked, “Why not live life to the fullest?”

Percy shrugged, “Still. Not looking after your teeth is a bad idea.”

“They have veneers and dentures and all that stuff now,” Nico said. “Besides, I suffered through braces all through middle school. I think I reserve the right to torture my teeth now.”

“We all suffered with braces, Nico.”

The two boys turned towards the door when they heard a key twisting in it. Percy, trusting his instinct, grabbing two eggs from the fridge and prepared to throw them.

Thalia glared at Percy with egg yolk dripping down her cheek. “You massive fucking dick.”

Percy winced. “Sorry, Thals. Maybe if you didn’t just waltz in here unannounced, I wouldn’t feel compelled to do that.”

Thalia held up her key. “Whats the point of having a key if I can’t invite myself over unannounced?”

“Um, preserving our hearts? You almost sent me into cardiac arrest,” Nico said, pointing in the middle of his chest.

“Overreaction,” Thalia told him. “Whatcha up to, anyway?”

“Well, we just went to the store. Bianca gave me enough food to feed a six month old, not eleven hungry young adults with inhumanely fast metabolisms,” Percy said.

“Well, if its your food, everyone’s going to want thirds. I, for one, will want fourths,” Thalia said.

Percy flushed a pale pink. “I’m not that good a cook.”

“Shut up, Percy. You could be head chef at any restaurant you want, but your skills as a cook are going to go to waste if you work at an aquarium," Nico told him.

“Hey! Aquariums are cool, thank you very much.”

“Yeah,” Thalia said, “If you’re seven.”

“Oh, so you must love them?” Percy said, “You’re obviously short enough to be confused with one.”

“Woah, another height jab, Perce? Low blow,” Thalia said.

Percy grinned. “Anyway, any particular reason why you came over now? I’d have seen you in,” Percy looked at Nico expectantly.

“Four hours,” the other boy said, glancing at his watch. “You know, why don’t you get a watch of your own?”

“-four hours,” Percy continued. “Why are you here now?”

“Do you really need a reason to visit my favourite boy?” Thalia said.

“Wow,” Nico said. “Feeling really loved right now.”

“Don’t worry, Death Breath. You’re my third favourite boy,” Thalia promised him.

“Who’s your second?” Percy asked.

"Jason," Thalia said.

“Why isn’t he your favourite?” Percy frowned at her. “He’s your brother.”

Thalia shrugged. “Hey, speak of the devil,” She said when her phone rang. “Its Jason, I should take it.”

“Go for it,” Nico said. “I don’t mind.”

Percy nodded. “Tell him we say hi.”

“You’re too nice to everyone,” Nico told him as Thalia answered. They both stared at her expectantly.

“Hey, Jay!” Thalia exclaimed. “Whats up?”

Percy put his pasta on the side. “What movie do you wanna watch, Nico?”

Nico shrugged. “Something from the MCU?”

“Yeah, sure,” Percy agreed. “But which one?”

“Captain America; The First Avenger?” Nico said.

“That’s awesome, Jase!” Thalia said into her phone, but the other two hardly paid her any attention. “Give me a sec, I’m with Percy and Nico. They’ve chosen the worst film in the world to watch.”

Nico called from the living room. “That’s just ‘cause you’re in love with Wonder Woman!”

Thalia made her way into the lounge area, and glared at Nico. “Hey, Jay, mind if we FaceTime? I need to show my friends how awkward it is for me to watch Captain America.”  
Obviously, Jason agreed because Thalia was then putting her camera on.

“Are you Facetiming your brother?” Percy asked, coming in with a too-big bowl of popcorn.

“Mhm. Say hi,” Thalia said, shoving her phone in Percy’s face.

Percy laughed. “Hey, Thalia’s brother. I’m Percy.”

Jason’s crackly reply came a few seconds later. “Hey. I’m Jason. That’s a really nice view of your nose.”

Percy pushed Thalia’s arm back a bit. “Thanks,” He said, semi-sarcastically.

“Okay, now, Nico. You can see why its so weird if I watch Captain America,” Thalia told him. “This is my brother,” She said, spinning her phone round so Nico could see.

Nico giggled. Jason looked like a carbon copy of Steve Rodgers, post-serum.

“See?” Thalia said. “Anyway, Jay, that’s Nico. He’s like a tiny, Italian prick.”

“I’m still taller then you,” Nico said, grinning.

“How low are you guys gonna sink?” Thalia complained. “And do we have to watch Captain America?”

Percy chuckled. “Iron Man 1?”

Nico agreed, somewhat reluctantly. He got up to put the disc in.

“Anyway, Jay. You’ll meet all my friends when we come see your show,” Thalia said.

“Yeah!” Percy exclaimed. “You’re in Rent!, right?”

Jason nodded. “Yup. Tickets are on sale right now.”

“We’re all gonna book some tonight. Everyone’s coming over, Percy’s making spaghetti,” Thalia said.

“Percy cooks?” Jason asked.

“Damn right he does,” Nico said, from in front of the sixty inch flat screen (an unnecessary size, Percy thought).

“Its not that good,” Percy said. “Don’t let them fool you,” He muttered quickly.

Thalia slapped his forearm lightly. “Stop being so self depreciating, you’re an amazing cook.”

Jason mentally filed that under the ‘Thalias’s friends’ department in his brain for future reference.

 

Two Iron man films and one and a half overly large bowls of popcorn later, Percy decided to get started on their meal. 

“Nico, did you want to go to Central Park today?” Percy asked as he started to get out various pots and pans.

Nico made his way into the kitchen sighing. He slid onto the breakfast stool again and watched Percy. “I’m too full to go anyway right now.”

“I did tell you to stop eating popcorn,” Percy said. “You got space for spaghetti?”

“We’ve always got space for Percy food,” Thalia said, bouncing in on the balls of her feet. Percy made a mental note that toffee caramel popcorn made Thalia hyper as hell.

He smiled. “Can one of you started peeling carrots?”

Nico groaned.

“Thalia?” Percy asked, directing his gaze to her.

“I’ve never peeled a carrot before,” Thalia said.

“How do you- Have you never eaten carrots?”

Thalia shrugged. “When I lived at home, King Zeus- I mean, Zach, had people hired to do such trivial jobs like that,” She shrugged, flushing slightly at the mention of her father. “Now, I don’t eat carrots. Or anything other then Pot Noodle. I’m a college student, Percy.”

“Why do you call your dad Zeus?” Nico asked.

“Huh,” Thalia said. “I dunno. He just seems a bit.. like he could be Zeus, you know? Like from the Ancient Greek myths.”

Nico shrugged. “Does that make my dad Poseidon?”

Thalia snorted. “No way, your dad is Hades. Even Percy’s mom calls him that.”

“His name is actually Harrison,” Nico said.

“Not very Italian, is it?” Thalia said.

“So, my dad is Poseidon?” Percy said.

Thalia nodded. “That fits best.”

“Ew. Now I keep imaging my dad, Peter Jackson, as a Greek statue. You know, one with his junk out and everything. The whole nine yards,” Percy said, cringing as he emptied the beef he had brought into a frying pan.

“Way to put me off my food, Kelphead,” Thalia groaned.

Percy grinned, “Sorry.”

The doorbell rang then, and Nico excused himself to answer it. 

Percy heard Annabeth, and clicked on his phone to see it was five o’clock on the dot. Of course Annabeth would be exactly on time.

Nico led her into the kitchen, where Thalia was doodling on a piece of kitchen towel with a sharpie and Percy was chopping tomatoes up.

“Hey, Annie!” Thalia said, abandoning her drawing and jumping up to hug the girl.

Annabeth got a face full of Thalia. “Oof- Hey, Thalia. Hi, Percy,” She waved to him, and he hummed in response.

“Do you want something to drink?” Nico asked.

“Yeah,” Percy said. “A can. Of anything.”

Nico stuck his middle finger up at Percy. “Wasn’t asking you.”

“How immature,” Percy said, starting to peel the carrots Thalia had refused to.

Annabeth giggled. “I’ll have a sprite.”

“If you’re hungry,” Percy gestured towards the counter. “We have a half eaten bowl of popcorn.”

“How long have you guys been hanging out?” Annabeth asked.

“Nico came at like ten, and Thalia joined us at twelve,” Percy said. 

“Headsup.” Nico said, throwing Percy a can of Sprite, and then handing Annabeth hers in a calm manner.

Percy managed to just catch the drink and Thalia applauded.

“Nice one, Percy!”

 

The rest of the lot arrived somewhere between five and five thirty. Hazel and her friends had arrived last, and sent Nico into such a frenzy he started to worry they weren’t coming.  
Percy had ushered all of them out of the kitchen, put some dumb reality show on his television and retreated to the kitchen to attempt to cook a meal for eleven. 

Annabeth wondered in to the kitchen after a few minutes.

“It’ll be ready by six,” Percy muttered. There was a hiss and sputter of oil.

“Oh. Okay,” Annabeth said. There was an awkward silence of sorts for a minute.

“Hm?” Percy glanced at her. “Do you.. want anything?”

“Oh, um. No, I was just.. It was getting crowded in there,” Annabeth said feebly.

Percy focused his attention back on the sauce, hating how awkward things had suddenly become between them. “Um, Annabeth-“ he said at the same time Annabeth said:  
“Percy-“

They both laughed quietly for a second before falling quiet again and then the only sound was the scrape of a spoon as Percy mixed his sauce.

“Um, Percy. I, uh. How did you- uh, how would you feel if someone you just broke up with started dating again really soon?” Annabeth asked hesitantly.

“What?” Percy asked.

“Answer the question,” Annabeth said.

“Why?”

“Humour me,” Annabeth shrugged, picking up and chewing on a piece of drying out, chewy popcorn.

“Uh, okay. Well, I wouldn’t be in any place to judge, because we wouldn’t be dating any more. I don’t control my partner’s life, whether we’re together or not. I would be worried about the person they start dating, in case its just a rebound but I’d do my best to feel happy for them, you know?” He purposely avoided Annabeth’s eyes.

“Hm. Okay. And, Percy?” Annabeth asked. “I really am sorry.” She slowly walked over to stand next to Percy.

Percy turned to look at her and Annabeth put her hands on his shoulders. “Annabeth-“

The poor girl looked close to tears as she leaned up to kiss Percy’s cheek. “I love you, Seaweed Brain.”

Percy smiled softly and put his hands lightly on Annabeth’s cheeks. He wiped under her eyes with the pad of his thumb. “I love you too, Wise Girl. Always will, okay? You have my word.”

Annabeth smiled sadly at the words. “Anything that needs doing?” She asks after a beat, putting her hands on her hips.

Percy grins at the sudden change, because here was the Annabeth he was used to. “Uh, yeah, can you get plates and cutlery out?”

Annabeth does so instantly, and places it on the work surface almost as soon as Percy had finished asking.

“Uh, and put it on the table?” Percy asked, dishing up all the food. “Get everyone to sit down.”

“Sure,” Annabeth said, making her way out the kitchen. Percy faintly heard her interrupt their conversations and heard everyone to the dining room. When she told them that food was ready, Thalia whooped and Percy chuckled.

He carried the big pot of spaghetti into the dining room and blushed lightly when Thalia told him to take a bow.

Percy slid a plate of garlic bread onto the table too and Piper wolf whistled.

“Do you have some sort of garlic bread kink, or something, Piper?” Percy asked as he sat down too.

Piper snorted. “Yeah, sure. It gets me all hot and bothered. Makes my knees go so.. ah.. weak.”

Thalia laughed, loudly. “Never heard of that kind of kink, Pipes. They do say there’s something for everyone.”

Piper grinned. “Thanks, Thals.”

Percy smiled. “Well, help yourselves.”

 

For the first ten minutes, everyone was silent. Thalia had made some pretty embarrassing noises, and then continued to make them as a joke. Percy had left a bruise on her shin after a while, so she retaliated by giving him two.

Hazel and her boyfriend Frank had been quiet through the meal, but her friends, Gwen and Dakota, however, had actively participated in conversations. Dakota still had the red stain on his lips that made it look like he was wearing some kind of lipstick, except if it had been applied by a toddler. Gwen, despite having never even heard of any of them, seemed comfortable, and kind and offered to help Percy wash up.

When he and Piper got a few minutes to themselves, Piper whispered to him that “Gwen was obviously a Hufflepuff, and Dakota would probably be Slytherin.” Percy agreed with her.

Thalia had dragged out a game of Cards Against Humanity, but Nico vetoed it because he “Didn’t want to scare Hazel and her friends off just yet.”

So Thalia reluctantly put the pack of cards away and Percy had initiated probably one of the most dangerous discussions of all time. 

“So,” he started his question, directed predominantly at Hazel and her friends. “We’re all textbook examples of, well, nerds. The make or break factor in our friendship is whether you prefer Marvel or DC.”

Thalia laughed. “Percy, Piper, Leo and Nico are Marvel. Me, Annabeth, B and Rachel are DC.”

Frank seemed to be seriously considering the question. “Um, DC.”

Thalia whooped. “Welcome to the cool side, man!”

Gwen answered “Marvel.”

“That’s not just because theres a character with your name, right?” Leo asked.

“What? Gwen dies! Why would it be because of that, if said character dies?” Gwen asked.

Leo seemed satisfied with her answer.

“Marvel,” Hazel said, quietly. “But I like DC a lot too.”

“DC,” Dakota said. “You just can’t beat Batman, man.”

“Um, have you seen Iron Man?” Nico said.

“Uh, yeah. Which is why I think Batman is better.”

“But Tony, and Cap-“ Nico said. “Its all just such a cool storyline!”

“Last I checked, Iron Man and Captain America had had a bit of a spat,” Dakota said, “You know, one that threatened the safety of the world.”

“Oh, please..” Nico started to defend his beloved characters.

Percy decided it was quite an amusing way to pass the time.

 

Several hours, and a few nearly broken bones later, Percy had concluded that a Marvel VS DC debate was not a good way to pass the time, at all. Thalia had only just stopped a trip to the Emergency Room by announcing her news.

“Hey! Children, quieten down!” She yelled over Leo’s voice defending why Tony Stark was the best superhero genius in the world. Leo shut up immediately, sort of scared of the girl. “Okay, well. If you didn’t know I have a brother. And he’s in a musical. And tickets are on sale. And we’re going,” she says.

“Whats your brother’s name?” Hazel asked.

“Jason,” Thalia answered. She didn’t see how Hazel’s jaw dropped because she was too busy pulling up the website that had the box office number on.

“Jason?” Hazel nudged Frank. “Jason Grace?”

“Huh?” Thalia asked. “How’d you know our last name?”

“I- We used to go to school together. He, uh, he stopped these some students bullying me and Frank,” Hazel explained.

“Where?” Thalia asked. “Jason- I don’t think he’s ever been to New Orleans.”

“No, this was in San Francisco,” Hazel said. “We always sat together at lunch and stuff.”

Thalia chuckled. “Woah. My brother, the martyr. Anyway, who wants to see his musical? He’s playing, who is it, Mark, in Rent!.”

“How much are tickets?” Annabeth asked.

“Twenty dollars,” Thalia said. 

“When?”

Thalia glared at Annabeth playfully. “You could Google it too, you know. Anyway, opening night. First of November.”

“That’s all I wanted,” Annabeth said. “I’m in.”

In the end, it was only Dakota, Gwen and Rachel unable to make it. Rachel assured them that Calypso probably wouldn’t be able to make it, either. That was when Leo gagged.

Bianca had flicked him. “You talk about your sex life constantly, Leo Valdez. With my flesh- and- blood brother, too.”

“Point taken,” Leo grumbled. Hazel didn’t even look weirded out when Bianca revealed Leo and Nico were together. Nico knew she had been raised in a conservative household, taught all the old stigma surrounding the LGBTQA+ community. Nico was subconsciously really, really proud of her and how her opinions must have changed already.

“Okay, I’m calling the box office now, for nine tickets, right?” Thalia said.

“Wait, no,” Bianca interrupted, furiously scrolling through her phone calender. “I can’t make it. I’m driving, uh, down to Florida. To meet someone.”

Nico frowned at her. “Who?”

“Our- uh. Our step-mom,” Bianca said, pink dusting her cheeks.

“What? And you didn’t tell me?” Nico said.

“Well, she, she doesn’t.. I- Nico, she hates you.”

“Why?” Nico asked.

“Um, guys?” Thalia said. “We’re dealing with my family shit right now. Sort out your family shit later, okay? You can yell all you like. When I’m not here.”

Leo wrapped a hand around Nico’s wrist and whispered, “We can drive down to Florida to see her anyway.”

Nico smiled at his boyfriend and then at Thalia. “Okay, sorry Thalia.”

“So, I’m getting eight tickets?” Thalia said, her finger hovering over the call button.

Annabeth did a quick tally of who would becoming. “Yep.”

“Okay. Now shut up, all of you.” Thalia held her phone up to her ear.

The group obliged, all staring at her expectantly.

Five minutes later, after a lot of talking and frustrated groans (ones that Thalia barely managed to cover into a cough, to avoid angering the slow, old woman on the other end of the phone.) their tickets were booked.

“We’re going!” Thalia announced, grinning. 

“Thalia,” Percy said, “When did you last see Jason? Face to face?”

“Well, we Facetime a lot,” Thalia said. “Well, we do now. But we’ve only been speaking for a few months. We haven’t met since I left, like ten years ago.”

“Seven,” Annabeth corrected.

“Whatever,” Thalia smiled at the blonde. “Hey! We should call Jason right now! And tell him!”

Hazel was the one who agreed most enthusiastically. “It’d be nice to see Jason again.”

“Hey,” Dakota said. “Me and Gwen have gotta head off now. It was nice meeting you all. And seeing you again, man,” he said to Percy.

Percy stood. “You too, man.” They did a bro-hug.. thing. And Dakota slapped his back before holding Gwen’s hand.

“We’ll let ourselves out,” Gwen said. “Thanks for the meal, Percy.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Enjoy the show everyone!”

As soon as they had left, Piper said “Definitely a Hufflepuff,” and Percy burst out laughing.

Thalia had already Facetimed Jason, and they all crowded around her phone.

Jason didn’t pick up, instead sent her a text reading: -in rehearsal. five minutes? xx-

They all sat there, counting down the five minutes. Percy thought it weird how excited everyone was to sort of meet Thalia’s brother.

Jason called Thalia this time, and when she picked up, he grinned. His face was dripping with sweat and his sticky up, blond hair was fluffing up and drooping a bit. His blue eyes sparkled.

“Evening, Thalia. And friends,” Jason greeted.

Percy realised why everyone was so excited to see Jason.

Because he was really fucking hot.

“Hi, Jase! Okay, this is Annabeth, Piper, Nico, Leo, Hazel and Frank. Well, you know Nico and Percy. And you apparently know Hazel and Frank too. Why didn’t you tell me you were in San Fran?” Thalia rushed out.

“Woah, slow down!” Jason exclaimed as he balanced his phone on a windowsill. Percy could see still practising dancers in the background, and also someone playing a guitar and singing.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were in San Francisco?” Thalia asked.

“Well, you know,” Jason said. “We hadn’t spoken in like, five years.”

“Still! Anyway, I- well, we, were just calling to let you know we’ll be there. Opening night,” Thalia said.

“Oh, God,” Jason said, dramatically. “No pressure, then.”

Percy smiled at the sarcasm. “We won’t accept anything less then perfect.”

“Neither will the directors,” Jason complained. 

“Are they working you too hard? Do I need to have a talk with someone?” Thalia said.

“Thals, when you talk to someone, you basically mean you’re going to break their nose,” Jason said. “And its fine.”

“Aren’t you only eighteen?” Percy asked, unaware of the drop of worry that had slipped into his tone. “Isn’t the rest of the cast thirty, or something?”

Jason nodded, grinning. “Yep. But its okay, seriously. What are you guys gonna wear?”

“Why does it matter?” Annabeth asked.

“Well, generally, going to a theatre is a formal event. But especially on opening night. Everyone’s expected to come in black tie, you know?” Jason explained.

“Oh,” Thalia said. “That just gives me an excuse to spend Percy’s money.”

“Hey! Why my money? What if I needed to get clothes too?” Percy half shouted.

“You don’t need clothes, Percy,” Piper told him. “You have the suit Drew gave you.”

“Percy has a suit?” Annabeth exclaimed.

“Drew?” Leo said in shock.

“What?” Thalia gasped, partly just to contribute something.

“Uh, its nothing, guys,” Percy said. He half wanted to slap Piper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically, i had a lot of things i wanted to include in this. its 4.5k i think, and i know i said id post chrismassy chapters yet, but then i think i worked out that i didnt want it to be christmas in this au yet, so no christmas chapters, instead itll just be normal chapters. i will i will try to get one or two up when i said in the most recent author note, okay?
> 
> ALSO WE HIT 10K WORDS ALREADY AND THIS IS THE THIRD CHAPTER. CRIKEY. WOW. BOII
> 
> anyway, we got some percy/nico bromance, as per requested. basically a bunch of buds hanging out and also percy semi acknowledging his feelings for my boy jason.
> 
> so then, next chapter will probably be the musical and also some formal wear shopping and maybe some more? idk yet. still havent written it.
> 
> anyway, ive been reading a lotta stony parent fics recently lol and i kinda wanna write an MCU fic? or at least a one shot, so look forward to that, i guess? idk man.
> 
> so yeah. there will be some stuff going up, i just dont know when.
> 
> I ALSO know that the end was terrible and the writing slipped so bad and it became so SHITTY SORRY. aNyway, lots planned for the next chapter. and i know there were some big big big marvel spoilers in this? SOZ ABOUT THAT too. also andrew garfield is so heckin cute but so is tom holland and i love both their spidermans and i love tobey maguire too? ugh 
> 
> COMMENT UR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER, AND WHAT U THINK WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY ALL GO TO SEE THE MUSICAL
> 
> see ya! take care of urself
> 
> (the more comments i get the sooner ill update!)
> 
> i think thats all i wanted to say
> 
> also that i love writing thalia and percy scenes because writing their banter is so fun! it reminds me of mine and my sister's relationship, so ive sort of based it off that and HHa i just love the percy/thalia sibling thing. so there will probably be more percy and thalia scenes. sorry? not really  
> okay this note is far far too long already so


	4. Cold Coffee and Questionable Fashion (if it can be called that)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They see the show, they eat pizza, they go shopping and Percy and Jason get coffee (they’re so cute, bless them)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah! this is a lot shorter then i wanted it to be, but i also wanted to get something out, you know? enjoy it!

Thalia was making Percy, and thus Piper and Nico would follow, go clothes shopping. Formal clothes shopping.

It was something Percy was inexplicably not looking forward. Of course he was still going to go. Whenever Thalia was involved in something, it was generally a good idea to go along with it. Percy had learnt that the hard way.

Thalia also demanded to see his suit, the one Drew had given him. So they had all piled into Percy’s bedroom and waited impatiently for Percy to find it.

When he walked out of his bathroom, kind of uncomfortable and extremely shy, he wasn’t expecting the reaction it had elicited.

Thalia had full on applauded. And cheered. And yelled “Bravo!” At him, as if this was some kind of ballet show, or something. Not that Percy had ever been to a ballet show.

Piper had grinned at him, having already seen the suit. Then she announced that “We should find Percy an accessory while we’re shopping.”

It was something that Percy was wholeheartedly against, but Thalia had declared it a good idea and that was that.

 

Percy was probably unnecessarily nervous about their little shopping expedition. He and Nico sat in the back of Thalia’s car (a shiny black Mini, and a car that she was immensely proud of, and also the only thing she kept clean out of all her possessions). Of course, it being a Mini, meant they both had to squish up a bit to fit in, and Nico had to deal with Percy’s knees almost breaking his nose every time Thalia drove too fast over a speed bump.

Finally, finally, they pulled up outside the mall and Thalia and Piper got out of the car laughing, before helping pull Percy out of his seat.

“So, where first?” Percy asked, looking a tad lost as he stood in the doorway of the shopping cente.

Thalia demanded that they visit a shop Percy had never heard of. And when they got inside, he wished he had never visited it.

The employees were pumping out some sort of sickly sweet incense all over the store, and the thumping melody of the Top Forty gave Percy a bit of a headache. One quick glance at Nico told him the other boy was experiencing the same symptoms as him.

“This place sucks,” Nico whispered to him.

“Damn right,” Percy told him. “What is this?” He plucked a mustard yellow headband from a display. It was decorated with silicone, rainbow, spiked balls.

Nico shuddered. “Its weird. And ugly.”

Thalia and Piper had quickly disappeared. Percy was wondering whether they had left Nico and him alone deliberately. He voiced this to Nico, who told him that “Yeah, they probably did do it on purpose. They’re horrible.”

“I agree. Wanna get out of here?” Percy said.

Nico nodded. “Lets go.”

When they got to the doors, Thalia confronted them. “Where are you guys going?”

“And where on earth have you been?” Percy demanded.

“And we’re leaving,” Nico said.

“What?” Thalia said, “Why? Aren’t you having fun?”

“No,” Nico told her.

Percy had the decency to look sheepish. “Uh, we’ll meet you in the food court?”

Thalia grunted noncommittally. “Fine.”

Percy grinned thankfully at her. “Thank God! Thank you!”

Thalia couldn’t stop the small smile on her voice. “Go on then. Scram.”

Nico and Percy did just that, running out of the store as quick as they could without knocking any small children over. It was a relief to breath the cooler, fresher, not as vanilla enhanced air.

It took them merely moments to decide where best to order food and wait for Thalia and Piper. Sitting down with trays of noodles and spicy-ish chicken, Percy frowned at Nico.

“So, why’d you come along?”

“What do you mean?” Nico asked.

“I mean, the mall isn’t your normal scene. So why did you wanna come with us?”

Nico shrugged. “I dunno wanna. Maybe I wanted to spend more time with my friends.”

“Really?” Percy asked. “Careful, man. You’ll have me tearing up.”

“Dickhead.”

Percy took a long slurp from his drink. “I’m glad you’re trying to hang out with us more.”

Nico blushed. “Do you ever drink anything other then soda?” He asked, trying to change the subject.

Percy grinned. “Probably. Actually, probably not.”

“That’s really bad for you.”

“So is ignoring all your family and friends,” Percy said, raising an eyebrow.

“Look, Percy, I have no idea where this came from. Can you just drop it?”

Percy took a big bite of noodles. “Sure thing.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Nico told him, wrinkling his nose but grinning all the same.

“Alright, mom,” Percy teased.

“Speaking of, how’s Sally?” Nico asked.

“She’s good. I think. Probably still mad at me for not telling her I was coming back to NYC. I haven’t spoken to her since the other night, actually.”

“Huh,” Nico said. “How long till the baby?”

Percy shrugged. “I’m not good with dates. Kind of want it to be a surprise anyway.”

“So you aren’t going to go back for a bit? What if she needs help?”

“She has Paul,” Percy said. “They’re engaged now, too.”

“What about you?”

“She has Paul,” Percy repeated.

Nico dropped it. It was a bit of a lost cause anyway. They both lapsed into silence, save for the rustling of fastfood paper and drinks sloshing.  
Thalia and Piper returned before either boy could realise.

“You guys were quick,” Percy said, finishing his drink.

“Sort of,” Thalia said, sliding into the seat next to Nico.

Piper sat next to Percy and stole one of his fries. “Yeugh. Cold fries.”

Nico snorted. “Where next?”

Thalia shrugged. “Do you guys need suits?”

Nico shook his head. “No.”

Percy shrugged. “You guys saw mine.”

“Oh, Percy. We got you something,” Piper said, and giggled when she saw Percy’s alarmed expression. “Nothing bad, seriously!” She reached into one of her bags and pulled out a small cardboard box.

“What is it?” Percy asked, taking it from her.

Piper snatched it back and opened it. “Here,” She held up the tube of lipstick, the same one Drew had him wear. “In case you want it. Oh- also,” she dove back into her bags. “We got you some more, if you want to use it,” she said, handing him a small paper bag.

Percy didn’t even stop to process his blush. “What’d you get?” He asked, taking back the lipstick.

“Eyeshadows, eyeliner and mascara,” Piper said, giggling at his eagerness. “Drew would have a field day. We’ll have to send her pictures.”

“Speaking of Drew,” Percy said, digging in the bag and pulling out the eyeshadow palette. “She never came to our meal.”

Piper hummed. “She texted me. Something came up with her boyfriend, or something.”

Thalia pulled the eyeshadow from Percy, after watching him struggle to open it for two minutes, “Here, Seaweed Brain.” She handed back the opened palette. Thalia and Piper both giggled over Percy’s little “Ooh,” hum.

Nico grinned too. “B has that.”

Percy looked up. “Really?”

“Mhm.”

Percy grinned, before turning to Piper. “How do you tell the colours?”

Thalia snorted.

Piper smiled, “Look,” she said, brushing a finger tip in one of the colours before swiping it on her forearm. Percy’s eyes lit up.

“Its like finger painting,” he remarked, as he covered his arm in rainbow pigments. “Wait, woah, this one’s glittery? How?”

“With glitter,” Thalia told him, grinning. “Come on, then. Lets go play makeover.”

Percy smiled at her. “Really?”

“Yep. You can wear it to the performance,” Thalia suggested.

“Really?” Percy asked, more doubtfully.

“This is New York City, Percy. I wouldn’t worry about what people are thinking, all right?” Piper said, putting the lipstick and eyeshadow back in the bag. “Coming?”

Nico stood up. “Mind dropping me off first?” He asked. “B’s Facetiming Persephone and I wanna be there for it.”

“Persephone?” Piper asked.

“My stepmother.”

“The one Bianca’s going to meet?” Thalia asked. “And yep, Of course.”

“Yeah, the one she’s going to meet. How many step-mothers do you think we have?” Nico asked, sarcastically.

“Alright, you shithead. Lets go,” Thalia said.

 

Thalia pulled up outside Nico’s driveway. 

“Couldn’t you go a bit further?” Nico asked. 

“This isn’t door to door service,” Thalia said. “Besides, your dad scares me. You should tell him to get a shorter driveway.”

Nico stuck his tongue out at her. 

“You,” Thalia said, “are a child. Pick you up at six?”

Nico nodded, slamming the car door. 

“Well, then,” Piper said from where she was riding shotgun (she had originally been in the back with Percy, but somehow had crawled into the front after Nico had gone). “Lets go make Percy pretty.”  
Percy grumbled in the back. “I’m pretty enough already, aren’t I?”

“Oh shush,” Thalia said, pulling away. “Don’t pretend you aren’t excited.”

 

“So, you nervous Thals?” Percy asked around Piper’s fluffy eyeshadow brush. 

Thalia was fiddling with a silver bracelet. “A little.”

“Well, I bet he’s more nervous then you,” Piper said. “Percy, shush.”

Percy grinned. 

“I mean it, stop moving.”

Thalia smiled at the two of them. “You think? I’m sweating real bad.”

“Well no one will smell it,” Percy told her, dodging Piper’s well aimed punch. “You’re too short.”

“I swear, Jackson. One of these days I’m going to stab you.”

“Won’t be fatal,” Percy said. “You can’t reach.”

Thalia held up her middle finger. 

“Percy, I’m serious. Stop freaking moving,” Piper demanded. 

“Okay, okay,” Percy said, sitting up tall dutifully. 

“Stop talking! Don’t move your lips.”

Percy held back a grin. 

 

Thalia sort of couldn’t help nearly crying as soon as the show was done. Nearly crying, she corrected everyone who mentioned her wet eyes and mascara streaked cheeks. 

She made Percy, Piper and Annabeth wait around for Jason after the show (Nico having to get home before Bianca’s flight). She wasn’t going to admit she was scared (Thalia Grace didn’t get scared) but she wasn’t going to admit she didn’t ever get scared either. The last time she mentioned it, Percy had dragged her to quite possibly the scariest Haunted House in the whole nine worlds and then spent the entire time laughing when she screamed. At least she had a nice scream, Percy had told her after. 

Thalia had bitten all her lipstick off (apart from a little smudge on the outside of her lips) but she wasn’t going to go reapply it until she saw her brother.

She wasn’t really sure how long it took for people to come out after a show, but she was beginning to wonder if they had all gone to stage door, because she had been waiting for God knows how long. 

Finally, there was Jason and his eyes were darting around in the same way hers were. 

“Jason!” She yelled, and then Thalia was running (and blanking slightly at the sheer height of her brother) and hugging him maybe a bit too hard.  
“Hey, Thals,” Jason said chuckling and she could feel it in his chest and it was just like old times, and she wasn’t crying again, God. 

Percy was grinning. “So apparently Thalia did miss out on the tall gene, seeing as her brother is a fucking giant.”

Jason blushed and Thalia stuck her tongue out at Percy. 

“You can shut up, Percy,” Thalia told him, but she couldn’t help laying a hand on his forearm. “Anyway, this is Jason. My brother. Although I think you all know that.”

Jason smiled dutifully (Percy felt his heart flutter) and waved a hand. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Piper and Annabeth chorused. 

“Well, this is Piper, Annabeth and Percy,” Thalia said, gesturing to each of them as she said their names. “And Nico and B, and everyone else would be here, but they’re busy and had to go home. Apparently waiting after shows takes longer then expected.”

Jason looked sheepish. “Sorry. Silena was trying to convince me to go to their little after party thing, and Charles tried to make me stage door. I could only get them off my back after downing a glass of celebratory champagne, and a can of beer.”

“You’ve been drinking?” Thalia exclaimed.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Jason tried, weakly. 

“God, but you’re like, eighteen! A child!”

Percy grinned. “Save the lecture for home, okay? I made food, didn’t I?”

It feels like this is the first time Jason is looking at Percy, really properly looking. He does a double take, his eyes widen and his cheeks redden. So do Percy’s. 

Thalia doesn’t seem to notice. “Oh, wait till you try Percy’s cooking. Its the best!”

“I, uh, well. It could be better.”

Jason hasn’t taken his eyes off of Percy. “That sounds great.”

Percy flicks his gaze (up, he realises with slight embarrassment) to Jason’s eyes. “We better get going then.”

 

“So,” Jason said, making his way into Percy’s cooking. “You cook?”

Percy twisted the knob on the oven. He could still hear Annabeth, Piper and Thalia in the living room. “Yup.” He checked on one more thing before turning round to Jason. 

He still hadn’t taken his lipstick and mascara off (the only makeup he had let Piper put on him). Jason’s eyes flickered to his lips momentarily. 

“Cool. What are you making?”

“Uh, pizza,” Percy said. “Don’t tell Annabeth. She’s always nagging us to eat healthy.”

Jason grinned. “But she’ll be eating it too.”

“Well, thats a minor inconvenience,” Percy said weakly. Was it normal for his best friends brother to have that effect on him?

Jason was laughing now (Percy contemplated saying something incredibly cheesy, like ‘Wow. Sounds like bells pealing, or angels singing’. He decided against it). “Think she’ll notice?”

“Hope not,” Percy said, turning back around to fiddle with his tomatoes. Jason was a bit overwhelming. In a good way. 

“What kind of pizza is it?” 

Percy turned around with a tomato and a pepperoni slice in his hand. “I don’t know yet. What do you like?”

“Pepperoni? Cheese?” Jason said. 

Percy hummed. “Basic.”

“Basic?” Jason repeated. “What do you have on pizza then?”

“Anchovies,” Percy said with a straight face, but he burst out laughing when Jason gagged. “Nah. I’m joking,” He grinned. 

“Thank God,” Jason said. “I was about to revoke our friendship.”

“We’re friends?” Percy asked, surprised. 

“Oh,” Jason paused. “Well, I’d hope so. If thats okay.”

God, shy Jason was even cuter then normal Jason. Percy was fucked. 

“I’d like it,” Percy said quietly. 

“We should, uh, meet up sometime,” Jason said. “Coffee. Tomorrow?”

Percy turned back to his cheese so he didn’t have to look at Jason. “Coffee. Tomorrow.”

“Ten?”

“In the morning?!”

“We can go at night if you want,” Jason said. “But don’t you have college?”

“Oh- My classes don’t start for another couple of weeks. Thalia and Annabeth and Piper all start soon. Bianca and Nico and Leo have already pretty much started. You don’t know half those people yet. Sorry.”

“You don’t start for two more weeks?” Jason asked. 

“Nope. I’m free for a little while longer.”

“Well, then. Ten at night, tomorrow. Coffee.”

“Pick me up?” Percy asked. 

“Of course,” Jason said, grinning. “I’m nothing if not a gentleman.”

Percy swooned in his head. “Now let me get back to my pizza.”

“I’m going. I, uh, like your lipstick, by the way.”  
Percy watched Jason head back out to the living room and slip back into Thalia’s conversation. He touched his lips lightly, trying not to grin. 

 

“SHIT!” He yelled when the smoke alarm started beeping. “Shitshitshitshitshit,” he muttered, pulling the oven open and yanking out the pizza.  
The alarm still hadn’t stopped, even as he wafted all the smoke out the window. Percy ran his hands through his hair. Where was the smoke alarm in this goddamn apartment?

“Someone switch that off!” Thalia yelled. 

“I’m trying!” Percy gritted his teeth. “I can’t reach!”

Someone chuckled behind him. “Need a hand?” Jason asked. 

“Yes,” Percy said. “Please.”

Jason didn’t even have to go on tiptoes. Percy had thought he was tall, before. 6’3 was tall. Really tall. But apparently the ceilings were taller and so was Jason. 

Percy pretended he hated that. 

Thalia was pulling off a piece of burnt pizza crust. “Delicious,” she said, crunching it. “Jason, don’t let this meal lead you into thinking Percy’s a shit cook. He’s not.”

Percy muttered in indignation. “Its not that bad. I got distracted.”

“By what?” Piper asked, snagging Thalia’s piece of pizza. 

Percy’s glance at Jason said it all. 

 

It took them longer then expected to find a twenty four hour coffee shop. This was New York City, for God’s sake. Commuters and homeless people and crazy, stupid teens were always looking for coffee. So were in-love sort of adults. 

Percy had put on lipstick again (if only because Jason had said he liked it). He had tried to put mascara on too, because he liked how it made his eyes look, but after poking his eye with the wand and smudging black on his nose three times, he gave up.

Jason had turned up at his door in a tight-in-all-the-right-places, light blue button up and dark blue jeans. He looked five types of perfect.   
Percy, on the other hand, had worn a loose-ish white shirt, his leather jacket and black jeans. They looked like harsh opposites, but Percy didn’t really mind. 

Eventually, they found a cafe that was open. It was family owned, and empty save from one girl who looked exhausted and was working on something. Her work was spread out across three tables. 

There was quiet jazz weaving its way through the speakers that Percy couldn’t see. Hanging plants gathered in the corners, in terracotta pots. The counter was painted a rusty orange, and so were the chairs. The tables were dark, reddish wood. Soft yellow light came from the open bulbs. It was nice. Homely. 

Jason led him to a table on the other side of the room from the girl. Five minutes later a server arrived. 

“Hey,” the waitress’s voice was soft too, just above a whisper. She had ginger hair pulled into a messy topknot. “What can I get you?”

Jason smiled at her. “I’ll have a small, decaf tea.”  
“I’ll have a large, black coffee,” Percy said. “Can you make it blue?”

If the waitress was surprised at Percy’s request, she didn’t show it. “Anything else?”

Jason turned to Percy quizzically. When Percy shook his head, he said “No, thanks. Thank you.”

The waitress nodded and wondered off. 

“Blue?” Jason asked once she was gone. 

“Blue,” Percy nodded in confirmation. “Its sort of an in joke with me and my mom. Now whenever I can, I eat blue food. Its like a comfort thing, you know?”

Jason hummed. “Cool. My comfort thing is humming musical hits,” he grinned. “If I ever start muttering Defying Gravity or something, feel free to kick me.”

“Defying Gravity?” Percy asked, confused. 

“Wicked,” Jason said. When Percy showed no indication that he understood, Jason continued. “Its a musical. Defying Gravity is a song from it. Have you never seen or listened to a musical?”

“Yours was the first one.”

“Really?”

Percy nodded. “I’ve never really listened to any music other then, like, AC/DC and eighties stuff that my mom liked.”

“Well, did you like the songs in the musical?”

“Yeah. I liked how they tell the story by themselves.”

“You should listen to more musicals then. Here, I’ll write some down for you.” Jason grabbed one of the napkins on the table and dug through his pockets for a pen. Finally he found a biro and bit the lid off with his teeth. (Percy tried to ignore the fact that it was maybe the hottest thing he had ever seen).

“Thanks,” Percy said, watching Jason write. 

“Uh, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton. Heathers, The Book of Mormon, maybe. Be More Chill? Why not?”

It was kind of amusing to see him mutter to himself.

“Spring Awakening. A New Brain? Falsettos! Phantom, maybe. See if you like opera.”

Percy grinned. 

“There. Done,” Jason said, passing the list over. 

1: Dear Evan Hansen  
2: Hamilton  
3: Heathers  
4: The Book of Mormon  
5: Be More Chill  
6: Spring Awakening  
7 A New Brain  
8: Falsettos  
9: Phantom of the Opera  
10: Wicked

“Hey, I’ve heard of this one!” Percy pointed at the second to last one. 

“Phantom? Yeah, most people have. Its opera, though. Obviously,” Jason grinned. “Its not for everyone.”

“I have no idea what any of these mean, though.”

“Okay, well, Dear Evan Hansen is about..”

Percy thought he could listen to Jason talk all day. 

 

They sit there until the last dregs of Percy’s bright blue coffee are cold and Jason is yawning at least once a minute. 

“Its midnight,” Percy said, glancing at his phone. “Woah. Time went fast.”

“Midnight?” Jason said. “Crap. I have to be up at six.”

“At six?! Why didn’t you say!?”

“Rehearsals,” Jason said. “And I enjoy spending time with you. I can deal with being tired if it means I get to be with you.”

Percy freezes at Jason’s words.

“What? Shit, sorry, did I say something?” Jason said. 

“No,” Percy breathed. “No- I,” He laughs breathily. “Is this a date?”

Jason pauses too. “Why? Do you want it to be?”

“Sort of, yes.”

“Well, then, I guess it is,” Jason smiles. “This is a date.”

“A date,” Percy repeats and he can’t stop smiling. 

“You have a nice smile,” Jason said. 

“Stop,” Percy tells him. “You’ll make me blush.”

Jason smiled. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

“To the door?” Percy said innocently. 

“If you want,” Jason said. He pulls out a ten dollar bill, and a five. 

“Good tip,” Percy said.

“Good coffee,” Jason tucks the bills under his mug.

Percy shrugged. “Fair. Well then, home?”

 

Jason, true to his word, walks Percy to the door. “I had a good time tonight,” he said. 

“Me too,” Percy said, opening the door. “You wanna come in?”

“I can’t. I need to get home to sleep.”

“You can crash here, if you want.”

Jason smiled. “Really?”

“Course. I can’t promise Thalia won’t jump on you tomorrow, because they all have spare keys, but there is far too many bedrooms here, so. Its really empty on my own, anyway.”

That seems to sell Jason. “Well, then I’d love to.”

“Don’t want me to be lonely?” Percy teases. 

“You want to be lonely?” Jason asked. 

“Not really,” Percy said quietly. “No.”

“Good thing I’m here, then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so jason and percy are getting to know each other. we had some piper/thalia/nico/percy bonding. this was very jercy centric, i think. im going to work more on annabeth and bianca, and leo and nico next chapter. i hope! maybe introduce reyna, too. 
> 
> i wanted to mention that when im writing scenes in NYC, in any fic, i have no idea what im talking about. ive spent 4 out of 5022 days there, which isnt a lot. So, apologies if any of its wrong. which it probably is. i also have no idea how the dollar works much, or the block system thing (i live in england, so i dont use it.)
> 
> all the musicals i listed here are ones i love and that you should listen to, by the way. i love musicals ugh
> 
> i also wanted to say, i dont know if ill be updating till january (which isnt that far away but). christmas has been stressful (doubly so, since spending time with my extended family makes me have a panic attack), and then ive been in that frustrating state where youre ill but still well enough to function so ive spent a lot of my time in bed and eating left over turkey. i am, however, working on an updating schedule. it will be loose, and probably not followed (mostly because my writing fluctuates. sometimes i can write 5k in an hour, other times it takes two to write a mere 1 thousand.) i will try and stick to it, though. 
> 
> anyway, take care of yourselves. comment your thoughts! i love hearing them!   
> now, remember to smile and eat and do all the things that helo you. i love you


	5. Piper Prepares to Stab a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piper is an overprotective friend towards the end. Otherwise, Jason is lovely, sweet and overall a cutie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy it!
> 
>  
> 
> texting:  
> [percy]  
> {jason}  
> >piper<  
> /annabeth/
> 
> (i have listened to the same 35 songs on repeat for three days)

Two days after their little coffee date, Percy texted Jason.

  
[Book of Mormon is weird as fuck, man]: Percy

  
{You listened to it? Did you like it?}: Jason

  
Percy felt himself swoon a little as he read Jason’s reply, because this was admittedly their first text conversation and of course Jason was the type of person to use proper punctuation, of all things.

  
[it was alright. weird]: Percy

  
{Most musicals are. You grow immune to it after a while, though. LOL.}: Jason

  
[ill listen to dear evan hansen next, i think]: Percy

  
{You’ll love it.}: Jason

  
Percy grinned.

  
[we should meet up again]: Percy

  
{I’d love to. Name a time and place and I’ll be there.}: Jason

  
It only took Percy a few moments to think of somewhere.

  
[outside my apartment, one pm on wed. bring money]: Percy

  
{Where are you taking me?}: Jason  
[surprise. be there.]: Percy

  
Percy grins down at the screen before clicking it off. Then he’s just staring at a blank screen, because Jason doesn’t reply to him after that. Percy assumes he’s rehearsing, or something like that.

  
Theatre kids, man.

 

Jason seems tired when Percy opens the door. He’s leaning on the wall next to the doorframe, obviously trying to keep his eyes open.

  
“Jason?”

  
“Hey,” Jason smiled. His eyes have horrifyingly dark circles underneath them.

  
“What the hell happened to you?” Percy asked.

  
“Gee, thanks man,” Jason said.

  
“No, seriously. You look like the human embodiment of ‘To hell and back’,” Percy told him.

  
“Thats a new one,” Jason said. “And its just rehearsals.”

  
“I wasn’t aware that rehearsing makes you look like death.”

  
Jason shrugged. “Its a lot. Its tiring. I’m a bit jealous of you lot, really. College would be so much easier.”

  
“I have to disagree with you there, champ. Why didn’t you stay at home and sleep?”

  
Jason looks horrified. “And not spend time with my new best friend-in-the-making?”

  
“I’ve never been a best friend-in-the-making before,” Percy said. “But seriously. I would much rather you get a healthy amount of sleep then come out and do crazy things with me.”

  
Jason glared at him. “Where are we going?”

  
Well, you can’t win them all, Percy said to himself, as he leads Jason out the door and up and down New York streets.

 

They stop outside a derelict looking building. Its low and musty, and slightly charcoal-y.

  
“Um,” Jason said.

  
Percy pushed open the door to the restaurant. “Pizza.”

  
Jason followed him. “Pizza? This is a pizza place?”

  
“A proper pizza place,” Percy promised. “Yo, Antonio!” He yells and a small looking man pops his head out of the kitchen door.

  
“Percy, my man!” The small man, Antonio, exclaimed. “You want pizza?”

  
“What else?”

  
“The usual?” Antonio asked.

  
“Yeah. And a pepperoni,” Percy said, glancing at Jason. Jason nodded in agreement, even if he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to.

  
“Alright, then! Here, sit over there,” Antonio points. “I’ll have it over sooner then you can say lickity split.”

  
Percy grinned and led Jason to the table.

  
“Why are we at a pizza place?”

  
“To sacrifice virgins,” Percy said. “Why do you think?”

  
Jason blushed. “Sorry. Tired.”

  
“I still say you should have stayed at home,” Percy said. “But whatever. I can let it slide for today, because we’re getting pizza. Next time, you will not get off so easily.”

  
“Next time?” Jason repeated, surprised.

  
“Sure. If you want there to be next time.”

  
“Of course I do!”

  
“Well, then of course there’ll be a next time. But if you dare show up on my doorstep looking like a racoon, I will handcuff you to my bed until you get the required amount of sleep to make you look like a normal, functioning human being.”

  
Jason grinned. “Point taken. I am thoroughly terrified.”

  
“As you should be,” Percy said haughtily. “Are you alright with pepperoni? Or half and half veggie and meat?”

  
“Veggie and meat on the same pizza?” Jason asked. “Doesn’t that.. sort of defeat the point of separating them?”

  
“I don’t have time to ponder the defining aspects of my pie. I just eat what tastes good.”

  
“Thats a good philosophy to live by,” Jason said and he only barely managed to keep the laughing out his voice.

  
There’s a large pizza being set down in front of them. There’s two. God.

  
“I feel like I’m going to regret wearing skinny jeans,” Jason said.

  
Percy had already picked up a slice of the meat/veggie point-defeating pizza. There was a string of cheese hanging from the slice and his mouth.

  
“Nah, you’ll be fine. Stop thinking, just eat,” Percy urged.

  
Jason did, taking a bite of the pepperoni. “Damn. That’s good.”

  
Once he had swallowed the tomato-y/cheesy/pepperoni-y/doughy perfection, Jason felt a little light headed. “Pizza has no business being that good.”

  
Percy was already on his second slice. “Its amazing, right?”

  
“More then amazing,” Jason said. “How do you eat it so fast? I feel like I need to preserve it forever.”

  
“Longer you take to eat it, the faster it goes cold,” Percy said around a mouthful.

  
Jason hummed. “Very true,” he said around his own mouthful. “Still makes me want to freeze it and save it and protect it forever.”

  
“Thats weird,” Percy said. “Please don’t freeze glorious fresh pizza.”

  
Jason grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  
Jason manages to eat seven of the eight slices of pepperoni deep dish. Percy eats all of his, and the last one of Jason’s. But he only eats Jason’s after multiple reassurances that “No, I’m fine,” and “Percy just eat the goddamn thing.”

  
“Do you need to get back?” Percy asked.

  
“For what?”

  
“Rehearsing. Sleeping. Normal bodily functions,” Percy said. “I don’t know!”

  
Jason smiled. “I’m good for another two hours.”

  
“And you don’t want to nap?”

  
Jason shook his head.

  
“Man,” Percy muttered. “What is wrong with you?”

  
“Napping makes me more tired,” Jason said.

  
“It’s a simple science, Grace. Do you not know to never nap longer then half an hour?”

  
“I’ve never napped.”

  
Percy spluttered. “What?”

  
“No. I’ve never napped. Never had time.”

  
“Then how do you know that napping makes you more tired?”

  
Jason sighed. “Because each time I try to nap, I end up sleeping for fourteen hours.”

  
“You sure you’re getting enough sleep there, bud?”

  
Jason smiled. “Yep.”

  
Percy crossed his arms. “You know, my college classes start in a week or so. I won’t be at your beck and call anymore.”

  
“Is this you telling me that I won’t have an excuse to escape from the grasps of my fellow castmates?”

  
God. Theatre kids are so dramatic. “Are theatre people always so dramatic?” Percy asked.

  
It made Jason laugh. “Probably.”

  
“Great. Will you ever be less dramatic? You’ll be able to see me at weekends.”

  
“Not every weekend.”

 

Jason was right. Two weeks pass before he sees Percy again (not that they don’t text. Mostly about Percy’s reactions to various musical soundtracks.)

  
Jason had been busy. With rehearsals. And cast dinners. And not rehearsals, but the actual show. And another audition (“Whats the harm?” his agent asked).

  
Percy, too, had been busy. College started. Marine Biology was not an easy subject. He modeled for Drew again (after getting a bit angry at her for outright ignoring him). She lightens up when Piper shows her the pictures from their night at the theatre, though. He also tries to make deep dish pizza and inflicted his pathetic attempts on Thalia, who, as she so eloquently put it: “I’m always up for pizza, Jackson. Shove it down my fucking throat.”

  
He also didn’t have a bad day, either.

That was good. Really super duper good.  
He and Jason spent an hour before bed texting every night. Sometimes they called, but not often, because Jason had to ‘preserve his voice for the show, or the directors would have a fit’. His words, not Percy’s.

  
[hey,] Percy texted Jason two weeks and three days after they went for pizza. [u shld come over.]

  
{Sorry, I don’t speak stupid. Shld?}: Jason

  
[offended. should*]: Percy

  
Jason sent a cheesy, smiley emoticon. {When should I come over?}: Jason

  
[today. now. i have a surprise for u]: Percy

  
{One hour?}: Jason

  
[fine. make it quick]: Percy

  
{How do I make an hour go quicker then an hour?}: Jason

  
[by coming in half an hour]: Percy

 

Jason came in forty five minutes.

“Between both times,” He said when Percy answered the door.

  
“Good God,” Percy said. He reached up (curse you, height Gods) and brushed a finger over Jason’s under eye bags. “How much sleep do you get?”

  
“Will you stop worrying about my sleep times? You’re as bad as Thalia.”

  
Thalia yelled from inside Percy’s apartment. “You dickhead!”

  
Percy grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. In my defence, I didn’t know she was coming over either.”

  
Jason followed Percy into the apartment, where Thalia was sitting on the sofa and eating ice cream out the tub.

  
“Put that away!” Percy snatched the tub (mint choc chip) from her. “I made food.”

  
Thalia looks at the ice cream forlornly, her abandoned spoon hanging out of her mouth.

  
“You cooked?” Jason asked.

  
“Mhm.”

  
“Am I a test rat?” He asked.

  
“No,” Thalia said before Percy could. “He’s already tested on me.”

  
“I don’t want to risk poisoning both the Grace’s,” Percy said. “Besides, this is a Jason food. Thalia had to be the one to risk dying for it.”

  
“Jason food?” Jason asked.

  
“Sure. I have foods for all my friends. Thalia’s is ice cream cake. Annabeth’s is PB&J’s with the crusts cut off, but she’ll try to make you believe its actually apple pie or something sophisticated.”

  
“Whats my food?” Jason asked.

  
Percy tapped his nose. “You’re about to find out.”

  
As if on cue, the oven started to beep (annoyingly loudly, too). Thalia jumped up excitedly. “I’ll get plates.”

  
Percy laughed. “Go ahead. We’ll eat here. Jason, I must demand that you remain seated.”

  
“Hey! You sound like me!” Jason said.

“Dramatic.”

  
“Must be rubbing off on me,” Percy said, following Thalia into the kitchen. He opened the oven to pull out his dish.  
Thalia followed him back out, holding plates. And forks (but what heathen eats pizza with a form, she asked him. Percy told her to get them anyway).

  
“Is that..”

  
Percy grinned proudly when he set the dish down. “That is.”

  
“Percy! No way!” Jason exclaimed. He jumped up with the energy of a small, hyperactive puppy. “No way!”

  
Jason hugged him. For five seconds (not that Percy counted.)

  
“Uh, well. You’re welcome. It won’t taste exactly the same but..”

  
Thalia eyed the two of them suspiciously. “Did you two have a secret pizza date without me?”

  
Jason and Percy shared looks.

  
“Uh.. Maybe,” Percy said. Which was the complete opposite of what Jason wanted him to say.

  
“We aren’t dating!” He hurried to input.

  
Thalia grinned wryly. “Sure you aren’t.”

  
“We aren’t, Thals,” Percy said. He stopped himself from muttering “not yet, anyway,” under his breath.

  
“No,” Jason agreed. “Not at the moment.”

  
Okay, then. Remind Percy to never communicate with Jason using eye contact ever again. Ever.

  
Thalia crowed triumphantly. “So you might?”

  
Percy tried to cover his blush. “I fucking hate the two of you.”

  
Jason laughed.

 

Thalia had gone home. Something about “blah blah blah hot date with a musician blah blah”. Percy didn’t pay attention, but when she left, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  
“Your sister is a lot,” he said. “You Graces are a lot.”

  
Jason smiled. “At least I wash up,” he held up his sudsy, pink washing up glove hands.

  
“That you do,” Percy flopped on the table. Right on the top. Lying right across it.

  
“Isn’t that unhygienic?” Jason asked, nudging him with his foot.

“Probably. Do I care? Nope.”

  
Jason chuckled. The plug gurgled.

  
“No-“ Percy sat up as soon as he heard it. “Don’t take the gloves off. Nope.”

  
“Why?” Jason glared at him. “Do you want a photo?”

  
“Yes,” Percy said. 100% serious. “Also, they make you look very good. Pink brings out your eyes.”

  
Jason snorted.

  
“Seriously! They make you look hot.”

  
God, Jackson. Did you really just say that? Really, really? Alright, time to backtrack.

  
“I mean- I- uh, not like I have a kink for it. Haha, a silicone suit kink. Me? Nah. I just really like pink! But I’m straight. Super duper crazy straight. But pink gloves? Whoo, my one weakne-“

  
“Percy, shut up,” Jason said. “Any man who says ‘super duper crazy straight’ is obviously not. And thats okay. I’m bisexual.”

  
“You.. what?”

  
“I agreed to the coffee shop being a date, right?”

  
“Well, yeah.”

  
“So?”

  
Percy laughed. A little hysterically. “Its weird not texting you.”

  
“You want to text?” Jason was already pulling out his phone.

  
“No- No! God, I-“

  
“You wh-“

  
Okay. That was.. forward. No point hiding his feelings now, huh. Good going Jackson. Because bringing a nice, attractive man home for a meal (with his sister, no less) and then kissing him while he had soggy, pink, latex gloves on was perfect etiquette.

  
The gloves didn’t stay on for long. Percy discovered that wet, cold plastic does not feel good on human faces.

  
“Wow.”

  
Was that all Jason could think to say? Apparently, it was also all he could say, because he repeated it several times.  
Jason, please. Say something else.

  
“Uh,” Percy said. Admittedly, not much better.

  
“Did that.. really just happen?”

  
Percy nodded. “Yep. Sorry.”

  
“Why- Why are you sorry?”

  
“Because..”

  
“Oh, screw it,” Jason muttered, before ghosting a hand over the back of Percy’s neck and kissing him again.

  
Percy’s hands flailed around Jason’s shoulders before settling on his right cheek and left shoulder.

  
“Okay,” Percy said when Jason pulled back. “Okay. That was.. good. Amazing. I’m not saying wow because you already used it.”

  
Jason’s eyes were shining.

  
“But if we’re going to take this further, then we need to talk,” Percy said.

  
Jason’s eyes deflated a little. “Talk.. about what?”

  
Percy took a while to decide on the right way to say it. “About.. me. In the least narcissistic way possible.”

  
Thankfully, that got a smile out of Jason. “But you want to take this further?”

  
Percy nodded. “But you have to understand some stuff about me first. Okay?”

  
“Should I be nervous? Do I need to put the police on speed dial?”

  
“What?! No! No, its nothing illegal! What do you take me for?”

  
Jason grinned. “Okay. We’ll talk. Then we’ll talk about how we tell Thalia that she was right.”

  
“God,” Percy groaned. “She’s gonna have a fucking field day.”

  
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Here comes the discussion of the century. Of the millennium. (Decade sounds better, because of the alliteration. But a measly ten years is nothing).

 

Percy pushed Jason into his couch. “Want a drink? I think we should make drinks before this.”

  
“Okay.. You have no reason to be nervous around me, Percy,” Jason said. He watched Percy’s trembling hands closely.

  
“Me? Nervous?” Percy’s voice was an octave higher then it used to be. “Of course not.”

  
“Of course not,” Jason agreed. “Tea?”

  
Percy nodded. He looked distracted.

“Stay there.”

  
“Staying here.”

  
Percy wandered off into the kitchen.

 

While the kettle boiled, he texted Piper and Annabeth in a group.

  
[shitshitshitshitshit]: Percy

  
<what? perce what?>: Piper

  
Piper was online. That’s good.

  
[jason. me. kissed. talk. shit]: Percy

  
/Percy? Its okay. You kissed Jason? Thats great! Now, what are you worried about?/: Annabeth

  
He could hear Annabeths ‘Percy-calm-down-shut-up-you-know-you-can-do-anything-and-crush-it’ voice even in her text.

  
[me. come out. to him. now. freaking out]: Percy

  
<percy thats great! good for u! so proud! he wjll be fine with it!>: Piper

  
Percy didn’t point out Piper’s typo.

  
[what if hes not. i just kissed him. like three times probably]: Percy

  
/Percy, really. It’ll be fine. What are you doing now?/: Annabeth

  
[making him tea. hes in the living room]: Percy

  
/Okay. Good. Make him tea. Make yourself a drink, too. Why was he over?/: Annabeth

  
[meal. with thals. made him pizza]: Percy

  
<you made him pizza? oh my goD>: Piper

  
[deep dish. like the restaurant]: Percy

  
<god you rly like this ghy huh perce>: Piper

  
Piper should get typing lessons.

  
[yes! and thats whh im panicking!]: Percy

  
/Percy, theres no need to panic. Is the tea done?/: Annabeth

  
[making it. asking if he gas sugar]: Percy

  
[he does. two. why does he have no caavities]: Percy

  
<its so domestic oh m ygod>: Piper

  
/Piper, shush. Make yourself a coffee, too, Percy/: Annabeth

  
He did as Annabeth said. Making black coffee was familiar. Relaxing. Even if the machine took a while to figure out. Jason never came to check on him, which he was sort of glad about.

  
[okay. done. im going. wish me luck]: Percy

  
/Good luck!/: Annabeth

  
<were prepared fo beat him up if the need arises>: Piper

  
His friends were so reassuring.

 

Percy carried Jason’s tea back into the lounge. He forgot his own, leaving it on the kitchen counter to go cold.

  
“Percy?” Jason asked. “You okay?”

  
Percy set the mug down in silence.

“Yeah.”

  
“You can tell me anything, okay?”

  
“I know.. uh.”

  
“You don’t have to be nervous!” Jason said quickly. “Seriously. So, uh, talk to me.”

  
Percy didn’t look at Jason. Instead he turned his focus on Jason’s mug of tea and the steam curling from it. “Guess there’s no easy way to say this.”

  
“Say what? Please don’t say you’re a sadist or a murderer.”

  
“No! Not that.”

  
“Well?” Jason prompted.

  
“Uh- I’m a demiboy.”

  
Silence. Crickets. Insert word that describes quiet here.

  
Alright then. Good job, Jackson. You did it.

  
“Whats.. that? In the least offensive way possible?”

  
Oh, right. Jason probably didn’t know what it meant.

  
“Can I have your phone?” Percy asked. “I’ll google it for you.”

  
Jason handed over his device. “Well. Whatever it means, it doesn’t stop me thinking of you like I do.”

  
Percy tapped away on the phone. “Thanks. Right, so the word for word description on Wikia is ‘A demiguy (also called a demiboy, demiman or demimale person) is a gender identity describing someone who partially, but not wholly, identifies as a man, boy or otherwise masculine, whatever their assigned gender at birth. They may or may not identify as another gender in addition to feeling partially a boy or man.’. So, I identify as mostly male. Like, 85% man. The other 15% is girl.”

  
Jason is staring at him. Like, intensely. “Okay.”

  
“Good okay or bad okay?”

  
“Can you explain more okay?”

  
Percy smiled. “Right. Its a bit confusing. Well, like I said I identify as mostly male. So I use male pronouns and stereotypically male name. But I don’t have.. male genitalia. And I do things that would be considered feminine. Like, I don’t know, make up, and skirts and stuff.”

  
Jason hummed. “I think I get it. You know this does nothing to lessen my attraction to you, right?”

  
Percy blushed. “Right.”

  
“And I still would like to kiss you.”

  
So Percy kissed him.

 

Jason took him out for celebratory coffee. At midnight. Again.

  
Percy had protested. (“Jason, I can’t. I have homework! I have college! I have class!”)

  
“When do you have class?” Jason asked. “Also, if you don’t come, I will carry you there.”

  
Percy paused. “Not till twelve thirty.”

  
“So you can come out?”

  
“Fine,” Percy said. “But only because this will be our first proper actual date.”

  
“What were the other two, then?”

  
“Preparation. When I’m against some one like you, I have to make sure every thing will be perfect.”

  
“Someone like me?” Jason wrinkled his nose.

  
“Yes. Someone like you.”

 

It took them long enough to find another 24 hour coffee shop (the one from before was harder to find the second time round, apparently).

  
“Here!” Jason announced triumphantly. “Found one.”

  
Percy followed him in. This one was painted sky blue, and had lots of oak wood tables and mismatched chairs. Another family owned business.

  
“What is it with you and finding hipster, family owned coffee shops?” Percy teased.

  
“Better then chain stores like Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks,” Jason defended, before ordering himself a tea (decaf; good God) and Percy a blue espresso.

  
“You know my order already?”

  
“Its so absurd, its not hard to memorise,” Jason said, grinning.

  
“Excuse me, blue is not absurd,” Percy grumbled. “You’re absurd.”

  
“Is that the best you could do?” Jason said around a mouthful of fruit loaf. (Yep. Because he couldn’t get me granny-ish. Seriously, the decaf tea was one thing).

  
“Ye-“ Percy started to say, but was interrupted by three pings in quick succession. Then two more. And then four.

  
“Someone wants to talk to you,” Jason remarked.

  
“Shit,” Percy said, pulling out his phone. “Shit, shit, shit.”

  
“What? Whats happened?”

  
Percy put the phone up to his ear.

  
_“Percy fucking Jackson! You can’t just ignore me like that! Especially after something so big. I had no idea what had happened to you! Did you really want to put your best friend in the entire world through that pain? By the way, I told Thalia, Nico and Leo. They’re here too, also just as mad. At both you and Jason. Thalia might be about to self combust, actually. Are you okay? Did Jason murder you? Have you been wallowing in self pity for the past hour? In which case, why didn’t you say anything, because I have three unopened tubs of Ben and Jerry’s in my freezer and Annabeth recently got the twelfth season of Supernatural on boxset. Even though season twelve sucks.”_

  
“Piper, shush. I’m fine. We’re fine- Jason, shut up!” Percy said, flapping a hand at Jason.

  
_“You’re with Jason? Did it go well? Hang on, I’m putting you on speaker._ ” There was a bit of shuffling on Piper’s end before five voices rang out together. “ ** _Hey, Percy_**!”

  
“Yes, I’m with Jason, yes, it went fine and I’m putting you on speaker too,” Percy said. “Jason, say hi to my super crazy, unnecessarily overprotective friends.”

  
Percy was glaring at Piper in his head.

  
“Uh- hi.”

  
“ _Jason, I swear to God if you hurt him I will disown you_ ,” Thalia said.

  
“I didn’t! I didn’t do anything!”

  
“He didn’t do anything,” Percy added.

  
“S _o you’re okay_?” Annabeth asked.

  
“Yes!”

  
“ _Good_ ,” Nico told him. “ _Are you two together now?”_

  
Their silence evidently said it all, because then Thalia started whooping and cheering.

  
“ _No way! No way, oh my God! Percy, I might get to be your sister!”_

  
“Jason, I might have to break up with you because of that,” Percy said, pretending to be serious.

  
Jason, just as seriously, nodded. “I don’t blame you.”

  
“ _Right, well, you two can go die in a hole,”_ Thalia said. Piper snorted.

  
“Gee, thanks Thals,” Jason said.

  
“ _Do you not have rehearsals?_ ” Thalia asked.

  
“ _Percy, don’t you have college?”_ Annabeth asked.

  
“Its good. I don’t have a class till noon tomorrow,” Percy said.

  
“And tomorrow’s my break day,” Jason said.

  
“Wait, you have day of tomorrow?!” Percy exclaimed. “Why did you not say anything?”

  
“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

 

“Well, we could have done something.”

  
“ _Forget about us, boys?_ ” Leo asked. “ _And if you’re planning on crazy wild sex, please don’t do it with out me.”_

  
“ _Leo_!” Nico half yelled.

  
Leo squeaked. “ _Okay, Nico, okay! Sorry! Sorry.”_

  
“ _Good_ ,” Nico said.

  
“We weren’t going to have sex,” Percy said.

  
“Nope,” Jason agreed.

  
“ _Have you kissed yet_?” Thalia asked.

  
“How do you feel comfortable asking this about your own brother?” Percy asked. “Actually, forget I asked. I don’t want to know. And anyway, I’m not going to tell you.”

  
“ _Oh, you have!!”_ Thalia squealed.

  
“Did you know that romance made your sister into such a teenage girl?” Percy asked.

  
Jason shrugged helplessly. “I’m beginning to wonder how we’re related.”

  
Percy snorted. “You’re kidding. You are a hopeless romantic.”

  
Piper giggled. “ _Alright. Well, Percy, next time you text us about that, make sure you reply to us? I was literally ready to murder Jason. Sorry, Jason.”_

  
“ _She really was_ ,” Annabeth added. “ _Had a knife and everything. She tried to convince me to draw her up a plan too.”_

  
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Percy said.

  
“Me too,” Jason said. “Seeing as I would have been the one dying.”

  
“I _stopped them- Oh, Leo and Nico are going. Say bye!”_ Thalia yelled.

  
“ _Bye_!” Nico shouted. “ _Stop letting my boyfriend flirt with you!”_

  
“ _They’re probably going to have hot, angry make up sex,_ ” Thalia said casually. Jason choked.

  
“Shit, Jason. Thalia, you can’t say things like that! One sec-“

  
Piper snorted again.

  
“You okay, Jase?”

  
“ _Oh my God_ ,” Piper said. “ _Nicknames. Already.”_

  
Jason smiled at Percy. “I’m good. Sorry, Thalia just shocked me.”

  
“Thalia can go fuck herself,” Percy said, making sure the phone’s microphone caught it.

  
“ _Wow, Percy. Real mature there, bud. And if you even think about commenting on my height, I will actually stab you this time.”_

  
“I think I’m the only one able to make height jokes now,” Jason said. “Seeing as I have at least an inch on all of you.”

  
He burst out laughing when Percy glared at him. 

  
“ _Alright, you two. We’ll go now. Glad you’re okay, Percy,_ ” Annabeth said. “ _We’ll give Jason a shovel talk another time.”_

  
Percy put his head in his hands as soon as they hung up. “I am so sorry.”

  
Jason laughed. “It’s okay. It was cool.”

  
Percy peeked at Jason from between his fingers. “Cool?”

  
Jason nodded.

  
“Cool?” Percy repeated.

  
“Yeah.”

  
“Well, I disagree,” Percy said. “I didn’t think they were very chill at all.”

  
Jason blanked. “And here I am thinking I’d be the one with the dad jokes.”

  
Percy grinned.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my notes always decrease in quality. sorry!
> 
> these chapters are always unbeta-d (none of my beta’s are as massive pjo fans as i. i know, its horrific). so all mistakes are mine; and because i hate rereading my work, they tend to to unnoticed. if you do notice some, please point them out!
> 
> now then. if you liked it, pretty please comment what you thought. if you didnt like it, well, comment all the same. 
> 
> we found out some stuff about percy! jason and he got together! three cheers for the happy couple. 
> 
> i loved piper in this, tbh. i think shes such a great friend. 
> 
> okay; im not in college. also not in new york. sorry if any of that’s inaccurate. 
> 
> i feel like the timelines have gone a bit haywire in this. thats okay, right? whatever. 
> 
> there was a lot i wanted to include in this but i cant seem to remember any of it. oops. 
> 
> well, i think we hit 20k words! woop woop! yay! this is like my longest fic ever. e v e r. 
> 
> i listen to music a lot while i write. i dont know if it affects my writing at all, but ill make a playlist with the songs i listen to the most and link it if you want to listen to it. it might give you extra insight (it probably wont) but it will give you some new music to (hopefully) stan. 
> 
> ive also realised just how often i use brackets. oops. and dialogue! i use a lot of diaglogue. haha. 
> 
> leo and nicos relationship seems a bit.. toxic. nico gets jealous, leo flirts with anything thats moves and theyre working it out. 
> 
> well, until next time chums! take care of yourself. 
> 
> (before we go, comment if theres anything you want me to write. i want to WRITE what you want to READ. speaking of that; i have a couple of near done marvel oneshots that i might upload soon. hopefully. my ‘ongoing’ folded on google drive is a bit of a mess at the moment)


	6. An Authors Note

as you may have gathered by now, this isnt a chapter. it is, in fact, a note. hello! 

so, i have no idea where i want to go with this story. i genuinely dont. i had the first few bits planned out (ie; the parts that have been published) and now i dont know where to go or how to set up the next part of the plot. 

i feel a bit like ive blocked myself into a corner with it. 

this isnt to say that im going to stop writing it completely. not at all! i might just be taking a little break from this fic. 

i havent even thought about what i want to put into the 6th chapter, let alone started writing it. so, i am incredibly sorry, but im putting this fic on hold. 

im doing this so i can work it out a bit, figure out the plot and write some more of it.

i WILL come back to it. i really will. 

 

of course, i have a myriad of WIPs in my folder. expect to see a couple of them popping up, too! theyll be mostly marvel (because thats all i seem to write these days). theyll also be mostly oneshots. 

i love writing chaptered fics, but i think the stress of having to keep it going is getting to me. while i know that i dont have to explain myself to you, i do want to say that im in a bad mental place currently. 

regardless, thank you for all your nice comments! i love the enthusiam some of you have for this fic. i will come back to it. i really, truly will. 

 

for now, take care of yourselves. ill hopefully post some oneshots of sorts while this fic is on hold, so look forward to that. 

be safe, guys. i love you! 


	7. authors note

so i know i said i was going to come back to this at some point. 

i havent yet and for that im sorry. i just dont have much interest in writing pjo right now. particularly this fic and im not sure why. 

i just kind of hate it? 

so for the foreseeable future, im declaring this fic discontinued. 

who knows, one day i might start it up again. and i might write pjo again but just not this. 

im sorry for everyone who enjoyed it! your comments all mean the world to me, seriously. 

thanks,  
ell (amywaited)


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